Folie à Deux
by Tricia Belle
Summary: Riley Matthews and Lucas Friar are freshman students at NYU. In an attempt to focus on school and minimize distractions after a heartbreak, they make a pact. They have to stay single until the end of the school year. How hard could it be? Join the two on a journey of friendship that could possibly lead to something more. Slight AU.
1. Chapter One

**Hello, lovely readers! I've had this idea for a while so let's see where this takes us. Folie à deux means 'the madness of two.' It was a term used to describe two people who share the same delusion which is now replaced with the term 'shared psychotic disorder.' I would just like to point out that Riley and Lucas do not have any delusions or mental illnesses in this fic. I just thought it would make a nice title to describe their situation because they're probably gonna go mad as a result of the pact they make. Plus, it's in French. Everything sounds better in French. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter One

Riley Matthews had her psychology textbooks open on the coffee table in her dorm. She was a freshman at New York University and was preparing for her first college test. She was taking her college education quite seriously, as her parents had warned her how difficult the transition was from high school. She was adjusting just fine, and she appreciated that she didn't have her father be her teacher anymore. Her father had been her teacher since the seventh grade, and it was refreshing to meet new educators in a different environment. She wasn't quite sure how his father survived having the same teacher all the way until college.

"You're studying, _again_?" Maya Hart asked as she entered the room to see her roommate hard at work. The pair were best friends and have been ever since she climbed through Riley's bedroom window that one faithful day when they were seven years old. And although they were New York natives and didn't live too far from the university, they jumped at the opportunity to live together on residence. They wanted the full college experience, and that included being away from their parents.

"Yes, Peaches, I am," Riley confirmed. She sat up on the couch. "Oh, by the way, Lucas is coming over again. Just letting you know."

"He's been here almost every day this week," Maya deadpanned.

"We're taking this test seriously," Riley informed her best friend and roommate. "It's worth twenty percent of our final grade."

"You science major freaks," Maya muttered.

"Hey, if I were good at art I would be an art major too," Riley replied. "But I'm not so I'm stuck here busting my ass off memorizing a bunch of different theories from Freud and Skinner and a hundred other dead psychologists."

"I have no idea who any of those people are," Maya said before going to the kitchen. Their dorm in Greenwich Hall was an open concept space so the kitchen and living room area were practically in the same room.

"They're like the Van Gogh and Picasso of psychology," Riley said, writing down notes in her notebook.

"Oh, I understood that," Maya replied proudly, going through the cupboards to find something to eat.

"Ugh, I wonder what's taking him so long," Riley groaned, shifting in her seat again.

"You literally just met this Lucas kid a month ago," Maya said as she filled a kettle with water. She had decided on ramen, every college student's diet. "And you've been spending an awful lot of time with him. Do you like him?"

"What?" Riley scrunched her face. "Psh, no! We just got really close, we have a couple of classes together. He's basically my best friend now. Contrary to popular belief, guys and girls can just be friends."

"Hey, I'm your best friend!" Maya reminded her, sitting at the kitchen table.

" _Male_ best friend," Riley added.

"Farkle," Maya said.

"Okay, _fine_ ," Riley said. "I can have more than one guy best friend."

"Don't know how Farkle will feel about that," Maya shrugged.

"He knows about him," Riley replied.

"Of course he does," Maya said. She tapped her fingers on the table, impatiently waiting for the kettle to whistle. "But does Charlie know?"

"That's another thing," Riley raised a finger and pointed at Maya across the room. "I have a boyfriend. So don't accuse me of liking Lucas. Because I don't like him like that. We're _just_ friends."

"You didn't answer my question. Does Charlie know?" Maya repeated. Charlie Gardner was Riley's boyfriend of almost two years. They were high school sweethearts and had won king and queen at their senior prom. He was overall a nice guy, but Maya wasn't too fond of him. He had a very 'in your face' attitude and Maya didn't like that. Nonetheless, she was always civil with him because she valued Riley's friendship too much to sabotage that.

"He knows," Riley replied sternly, somewhat annoyed.

"I'm just saying, I wouldn't be angry if you liked Lucas," Maya shrugged. "I barely know him but I like him better than Charlie."

"Maya," Riley said.

"Sorry," Maya muttered. She didn't like Riley's boyfriend. She never has, and she didn't think she ever would. It seemed to her that Charlie had some sort of façade when he was with Riley and was hiding his true self from her. When Maya would interact with him, he was rude and narcissistic, which she suspected to be the real Charlie Gardner.

As Riley continued to make notes and Maya made her noodles, there was a knock at the door. Riley looked at Maya, who seemed to be over indulged in her food. Riley rolled her eyes when she realized that Maya wasn't going to answer the door, so she got up reluctantly instead. She opened the door and was happy to see one of her other best friends, Lucas Friar.

"You're late," Riley said, letting him in and closing the door.

"I'm sorry, Riles," Lucas replied, bringing up his left wrist to check the time on his watch. "I was stuck on the phone with my dad. He was asking for my help. When I was back on the ranch I would be in charge of the foal births but since I moved to New York he had to go back to doing them."

Lucas Friar, unlike Riley, was not a New York native. He was from Austin, Texas, basically on the other end of the country. He lived on a ranch that his family owned and loved animals. He was currently a biology major, but wanted to become a veterinarian someday.

"That's fine," Riley commented, returning to her spot on the couch. Lucas plopped down beside her and unpacked his messenger bag that was previously resting on his shoulder.

"Peaches, you never told me Lucas here was a cowboy," Maya couldn't help but eavesdrop from the kitchen.

"Yup," Riley confirmed. "He rode a bull back in Texas. He was a rodeo star."

"Riley," Lucas whined. "No one knows that except for you and Zay."

"What a Huckleberry," Maya chuckled to herself, returning to her dinner.

"Oh, no. Is that going to stick?" Lucas whispered to Riley. He didn't know Maya that well, but from what he had observed in her interactions with Riley, he knew how their friendship worked and what kind of person she was.

"Probably," Riley shrugged with a smile. "Don't worry about it. That's just how Maya is."

Lucas shook his head, "Whatever. I'm friends with you, not her. Her calling me Huckleberry shouldn't be a big deal."

"It's really not," Riley agreed. "Now let's get studying."

The pair studied their theories for a good hour before they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Peaches, you gonna get that?" Maya yelled from her room.

"No, I'm busy!" Riley retaliated.

Maya loudly groaned and dragged herself out of her room to open the front door. It was Charlie.

"Ugh, it's _you_ ," Maya scoffed. She had no problem with openly showing her dislike towards him. He had no problem with it either. They both liked to bicker with each other. Riley knew this, but she never let it get in the way with either relationship.

"Yup, it's _me_ ," Charlie teased.

"What are you doing here?" Maya rolled her eyes.

"To see my girlfriend, duh," Charlie replied.

"Well, she's busy," Maya folded her arms across her chest. It was Charlie's turn to roll his eyes. He pushed Maya to the side and entered the dorm. He saw Riley in the living room area studying with Lucas and walked over to them.

"Hi babe," Charlie greeted. Riley looked up to meet his eyes and smiled.

"Charlie!" Riley said enthusiastically. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Lucas kept his focus on his books.

"Friar," Charlie acknowledged.

Lucas looked up, pursed his lips and waved before returning to his notes. He had only met Charlie a couple of times, and so he wasn't too comfortable in his presence yet. Especially when he assumed that Charlie found him a threat to his and Riley's relationship due to daggers he would catch Charlie giving him.

"Maya said you were busy," Charlie said. "Don't tell me you forgot about our date tonight."

Riley's eyes grew wide. She examined Charlie from head to toe. His hair was nicely sculpted with gel, something he didn't do very often. He was wearing a light pink dress shirt with a navy cable knit sweater on top. He wore dress pants and Oxfords.

"Oh my gosh," Riley dropped her pen and put her hands on either side of her cheeks. "I completely forgot! I'm so sorry, love. I've just been so focused on acing this test."

Charlie shot a death glare at Lucas, and neither him or Riley seemed to notice. Charlie didn't like that his girlfriend was spending so much time with this cowboy from Texas. He was very secure with his relationship, but for some reason he would always feel extremely uncomfortable when he would see her with her new 'best friend.'

Riley looked at Lucas with apologetic eyes. Lucas nodded at her.

"Go on your date, Riles," Lucas said. "We still have a while to prepare for this test."

"Thank you," Riley mouthed. "I'll see you in class tomorrow?"

"Of course," Lucas smiled softly. He packed up his things before leaving Riley's dorm to head back to his own.

"Alright, give me like fifteen minutes," Riley told Charlie.

"Take your time, darling," Charlie offered, sitting on the couch where Lucas once sat.

Riley scurried to her room to prepare for her date with her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, back in the other room, Charlie was scrolling through his phone. Maya had stayed in the kitchen the entire time, observing him.

"I don't like you," Maya announced with squinted eyes, prompting Charlie to turn his head towards her and stick out his tongue. "How charming. Riley _loves_ that."

"Oh, please," Charlie said. "You don't like anyone that you feel is a threat to yours and Riley's friendship."

"And how did you come up with that?" Maya retorted.

"I can tell that you get jealous that when Riley's not with me, she's with Lucas," Charlie commented. "He's like her best friend now and you think he's taking her away from you."

"How do you know this? We don't talk," Maya said.

"But me and Riley do," Charlie reminded her. "And she tells me everything."

"And you're not threatened at all by Lucas?" Maya shot back.

"Of course I am," Charlie confirmed, "but I'm still a lot more secure than you."

"I really don't understand what Riley sees in you," Maya sighed. "She says you're an amazing guy, but quite frankly, I don't see it."

"Well, thank you, Maya," Charlie said.

Maya shuddered in aggravation.

* * *

 **Nothing too eventful happened in this chapter. Just an introduction of the characters and an idea of the friendship that Riley and Lucas have built up since college started. This is a slight AU fic. I try to keep a lot of things canon, which you'll figure out as you read. Hope you all enjoyed and are excited about this as much as I am! Please review, I want to hear your thoughts! Also, do you guys like the cover I made for this story?**


	2. Chapter Two

**Thank you all for favoriting and alerting this story! I'm glad you're all as excited as I am! And to the guest reviewer who asked which other characters are in this fic, the whole gang will be in it. Riley, Maya, and Farkle are best friends. Lucas and Zay are best friends. Smackle will be introduced along the way. And Cory and Topanga will make appearances as well as Josh and Auggie. So yes, there will also be hints of Joshaya and Smarkle. Please review!**

* * *

Chapter Two

Lucas's dorm was only several floors above Riley's. All the dorms in their building had the same layout. He arrived to his dorm in a matter of minutes. He opened the door using his assigned key. He was greeted by Isaiah "Zay" Babineaux, his best friend from Texas and his current roommate. They've known each other since they were mutton busters.

"Back so soon?" Zay asked from the living room.

"Yeah," Lucas sighed. "She forgot she had date night with Charlie."

"Who's Charlie?"

"Her boyfriend."

"You sound jealous," Zay commented.

"I'm not," Lucas countered. "I just wanted to study with her."

"You've been studying with her for almost the entire week," Zay pointed out, insinuating that Lucas might have a crush on Riley. "Missing one night isn't going to hurt your GPA."

"Yeah, but—"

"Nah, I'm just messing with you," Zay chuckled. "I know you guys are just friends. I mean, what's more platonic than study dates?"

Zay got up and went to his room, leaving Lucas standing by the front door, confused. He shook his head and made his way to his own room. He decided he would continue studying, even without Riley. But somehow he ended up thinking about Riley and Charlie. Lucas liked Riley as a friend and he truly cared about her. It was amazing how close they've gotten over the little time they've known each other. Even though he didn't know Riley for long, he knew that Charlie wasn't good enough for her. And he didn't come to this conclusion out of jealousy either. Lucas and Riley were just friends, and they both knew that.

The next day, which was a Saturday, Riley had asked to come over to Lucas's dorm to study instead of hers.

"Why the change of location?" Lucas asked when he let Riley in. She walked to the living room and he followed. They normally hung out in Riley's dorm because Maya was usually out doing things with her art.

"Maya's binge-watching movies on Netflix with my Uncle Josh," Riley replied.

"I find it strange you have an uncle three years older than us," Lucas commented, helping Riley lay out her books on the table.

"I have a strange family," Riley shrugged.

"I'm sure they're not as goofy as you," Lucas chuckled. Riley's goofiness was one of the many reasons why he enjoyed being friends with her, she never took herself too seriously.

"They're worse," Riley informed him with wide eyes. "Sorry about last night, by the way."

"No need to apologize," Lucas said. "Charlie just missed you. I totally understand, he's your boyfriend, of course you want to spend time with him."

"Thing is, I completely forgot about the date and we've had it planned for a while," Riley admitted sheepishly. "He got kinda pissed."

"Just because you forgot about it doesn't mean you don't care," Lucas assured her. "I mean, the second you remembered about it you dropped what you were doing and went with him."

"I'm still sorry," Riley said.

"Don't be," Lucas answered. "Now please stop apologizing and let's get studying."

They were twenty minutes into studying operational and classical conditioning when Zay emerged from his room. He seemed to be heading out as he was in sweats and was carrying his gym bag with him.

"Hi, Sugar!" Zay greeted Riley when he reached the living room. Zay liked Riley and was glad that his best friend made friends with a girl who had a very kind heart and a pure soul.

"Hi, Zay!" Riley returned the greeting. Riley accepted a hug from Zay when he bent down to her.

"See you guys are still studying," Zay remarked.

Riley nodded, "What are you up to?"

"I'm gonna go play basketball with some friends," Zay replied. He turned to Lucas, "I'll be back by dinner."

"Alright, have fun then!" Riley said before focusing her eyes back onto her textbook and laptop in front of her.

Zay was making his way to the front door when he turned back to catch Lucas's attention. He gestured to his eyes and then pointed at Lucas, mouthing, "I'm watching you two." Zay enjoyed teasing Lucas, especially because he never did anything about it and that he knew it was just for fun.

Lucas and Riley studied for a couple of hours, stopping every hour to take a well-deserved break. On hour four, Lucas offered to get some snacks. He prepared his infamous BLT sandwiches and homemade iced tea. All the while, Riley's hand and eyes were glued to her phone. She tapped at the screen furiously with her thumbs. Lucas couldn't help but notice the loud tapping and the worried look that Riley suddenly donned.

"Are you okay?" Lucas questioned. He moved their notes, books, and laptops aside before putting plates of his sandwiches in front of Riley. He also placed the glasses of iced tea beside them.

"I'm fine," Riley replied. "Charlie's texting me."

"Are you guys text fighting?" Lucas assumed. "You've been typing aggressively on your phone."

"Yep," Riley confirmed, her eyes not leaving her phone's screen.

Lucas let Riley deal with whatever she was dealing with and sat beside her patiently. He picked up his sandwich and took a bite.

"Sorry about that," Riley sighed, finally putting her phone down on the table.

"Are you sure you're a New York native?" Lucas questioned out of the blue, earning a confused look from Riley.

"Yes… why?" Riley tilted her head.

"Because you apologize too much," Lucas answered. "I could swear you're Canadian."

"Haha, very funny," Riley mocked monotonously with narrow eyes.

"You live close enough to the border," Lucas shrugged.

"You have such a lame sense of humor," Riley observed, taking a bite of her sandwich that Lucas had made for her. Her eyes lit up. "Though you're good at making sandwiches!"

"Thanks," Lucas placed a hand over his chest. "I'm flattered."

Riley smiled at him forcefully. Lucas beamed. The two finished their food while discussing Lucas's favorite TV show, _The Walking Dead_. Lucas was trying to convince Riley to give it a try.

"Ew, no," Riley said. "I like rainbows and sunshine and stuff like that."

"Adorable," Lucas teased. He nudged her. "Come on, just give it a try."

Riley's phone, still on the table, vibrated. The screen flashed with the text, _1 New Message_. She groaned because she knew exactly who the message was from. She reluctantly picked up her phone and unlocked it to view the message. She groaned.

"What happened now?"

"He wants to hang out again," Riley groaned. "I know he's my boyfriend and everything but I'm really taking school seriously."

"If he's your boyfriend then he should understand that," Lucas pointed out. "Is that what you're fighting about?"

Riley nodded, "He's complaining once again that we're not spending as much time together as he'd hoped. But I really do care about my college education."

"Where did you say he went to school again?" Lucas questioned.

"Columbia."

"Then shouldn't he be studying too?"

"He should be," Riley muttered. The reason why Charlie was upset wasn't because of that. He had suspicions that Riley was cheating on him with Lucas. Charlie was a very studious kid as well. He and Riley helped each other a lot in high school. But Riley didn't want to tell Lucas that he was the cause of their fight. Riley really enjoyed his company and didn't want to lose their friendship just because her boyfriend assumed incorrectly. "Enough about my lovely boyfriend. Let's get back to studying."

* * *

"If Lucas is your best friend, then why didn't you tell him the truth?" Maya raised a brow. Riley had returned to her dorm and was explaining to her best friend about her and Charlie's argument and the role that Lucas played in all of that.

"Because, Maya," Riley sighed. "If I tell Lucas that Charlie is jealous of him because he's spending so much time with me, I don't want Lucas assuming that I have feelings for him."

"Don't you?" Maya teased.

" _No_ ," Riley defended herself sternly. "And I also don't want Lucas treating me differently. The way we interact now is fine. I don't want him distancing himself from me because he feels threatened by Charlie, okay?"

"Sounds to me like someone has a little crush," Maya smirked. Riley rolled her eyes.

"Peaches, for the thousandth time, I do _not_ like Lucas!" Riley threw her arms in the air. "I like his company and I like talking to him. We have a lot in common. He's like a brother to me."

"Yeah, right," Maya mumbled. "He's nothing like Auggie."

"I don't want to talk about this right now," Riley raised her palm. "I need to go fix things with Charlie."

Riley didn't wait for Maya to respond. She went straight to her room, pulled out her phone and called her boyfriend.

"Hey, babe," she greeted. "I'm back from Lucas's. Now let's talk."

" _Riley_ ," Charlie said with a firm voice. "You spend too much time with him. I want you to stop."

" _Charlie_ ," Riley mocked. "It's not what you think! All we do is study. We have a bunch of classes together and we help each other out with the course work. I'm not cheating on you. And if you want me to stop talking to Lucas then I want you to stop talking to Monica."

"That's not fair! Monica's my best friend!" Charlie replied. "She and I have been known each other since we were in diapers. It's not the same."

"It totally _is_ the same!" Riley countered. "You have a best friend of the opposite gender. And so do I. What's the difference?"

"Farkle's your best guy friend," Charlie pointed out. "And the difference is you met Lucas last month! How well do you really know him? What are his intentions?"

"I can have more than one guy friend," Riley responded. "And I know him well enough to confirm that he's genuinely a nice guy who's not into me whatsoever. He's nice to me because he's a friendly person, not because he wants to get with me, okay?"

"Fine," Charlie breathed. "So he's not into you. Are you into him?"

"No, Charlie, of course not!" Riley assured him. "I love you and only you. Trust me on this, please?"

"I trust you," Charlie lied.


	3. Chapter Three

**I like the friendship I gave Rucas so far and I'm excited to build it up before it turns into something more. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

Chapter Three

Early Monday morning, Lucas and Riley met up in their building's lobby to grab some breakfast and walk over to their introduction to psychology course that began at 9am.

"So did you fix things with the boyfriend?" Lucas questioned as he and Riley entered the lecture hall.

"Yup," Riley confirmed. "I called him when I got back from your place."

"Did he understand?"

"He said he did."

The two sat near the back of the hall. Their professor used slides when he lectured anyway, so it's not like they needed to copy anything down from the whiteboards that lined the wall at the front of the room.

"He's been really needy since school started," Riley observed, pulling out her laptop. "I'm starting to think there might be something else that's bothering him."

"I doubt it," Lucas shrugged, pulling out his own laptop. "It's just school. You have been studying an awful lot."

"I'm starting to feel guilty," Riley muttered. "What if he's right? I know I care about school but I care about him too, y'know?"

"I guess," Lucas said. "But don't let it affect your education. I know how much you care about getting good grades in college."

"Well, yeah," Riley replied. "I'm trying to live up to my parents' expectations. I'd hate to disappoint them."

"Exactly, so don't feel bad for being selfish every once in a while," Lucas said, rubbing her back.

"Thanks, Lucas, you're a good friend," Riley smiled, leaning towards him to give him a hug.

" _Best_ friend," Lucas corrected with a grin.

* * *

"So I think Riley's boyfriend doesn't like me," Lucas announced as he entered Zay's room without notice. He plopped down on Zay's bed. Zay was sitting as his desk typing away on his laptop.

"Of course he doesn't," Zay commented, his eyes not leaving the screen.

"What makes you say that?" Lucas asked.

"Because," Zay spun around in his chair to face Lucas. "You spend a lot of time with Riley. He's jealous of you."

"I don't get it," Lucas shrugged. "We're just friends."

"That's what they all say…" Zay rolled his eyes.

"I swear!" Lucas defended himself. "She's an easy person to talk to. I can talk to her about anything. And she shares the same interests as me. She's like my sister."

"Huh," Zay breathed. "You don't even have a sister."

"Exactly," Lucas said. "But if I did have one I'd want it to be her."

"Nah, I don't think you'd want her to be your sister…" Zay waved Lucas off.

"Well you consider yourself as my brother," Lucas pointed out.

"That's different," Zay shook his head. "We've known each other since we were kids. We grew up together."

"So?" Lucas raised a brow.

"I don't know where I'm going with this," Zay shrugged. "So does that make her my sister too?"

* * *

"Babe!" Riley greeted as she entered her boyfriend's apartment. Charlie had opted not to live in a student dorm on Columbia's campus. He found a fairly sized studio apartment near his parents' house. That way, he could have the college experience without loud college students keeping him up at wee hours of the night, and at the same time, he was close to home in case he ever needed anything from his parents.

Charlie led her to the couch.

"Thanks for coming, Riley," Charlie seemed uneasy when Riley tried to give him a hug.

Riley furrowed her brow when she noticed Charlie's reaction to her hug. She sat beside him but he quickly moved and made space between them.

"What's wrong, babe?" Riley asked, concern in her eyes. She looked at him, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

"There's no easy way to say this," Charlie said, fiddling with his thumbs. He didn't want to look at Riley right now. He didn't want to see the worry on her face, it'd just make it harder for him. "I think we need to break up."

Riley swallowed with wide eyes and said, "What?"

"I trust you and everything," Charlie replied, "but this whole thing with Lucas. I just can't shake the thoughts out of my head. I know you don't like him romantically but Riley, it doesn't seem like it. You say one thing and you act another way."

"Are you calling me a hypocrite?" Riley concluded, holding back tears. Her breathing got slow and heavy.

Charlie shook his head, "No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just say that I don't think you know your feelings right now."

"That's crazy," Riley whispered. "Never have I once doubted my feelings for you."

"Then why are you always with Lucas then, huh?" Charlie countered rather loudly, standing up.

"I told you, all we do is study!" Riley answered. "He's my study buddy."

"I thought I could believe you, Riley, but I can't," Charlie admitted. "I'll be honest; I'm quite jealous of him. You spend more time with him than me and I'm supposed to be your boyfriend."

"You are my boyfriend," Riley assured him, putting a hand on his forearm.

"Not anymore," Charlie shook his arm to rid of Riley's grip.

"Charlie, please…" Riley's voice trailed off. "Don't do this."

"I don't want to," Charlie whispered. "But I have to. It's either you cut him off and we continue our relationship, or you can continue being best friends with him and we break up. It's up to you."

Riley looked down at her hands and thought about it for a minute. How could she do this to him? How was he going to make her choose between two guys she cared about in two completely different ways? Riley thought she knew Charlie quite well in the years that they've known each other, but because he's making her choose, maybe she didn't know him as well as she'd originally thought.

"Are you seriously making me choose?" Riley questioned.

Charlie nodded seriously.

"This is dumb," Riley commented, throwing her arms in the air. "There's nothing going on with me and him. Why are you so insecure?"

"I'm not," Charlie retorted. "Why are you in denial?"

"I'm not in denial!" Riley remarked. "I don't like Lucas like that."

"You keep saying that but your actions say otherwise, Riley," Charlie said. "I can't be with you anymore."

"Fine," Riley sighed before getting up. She headed towards the door. She didn't look back. She whispered loud enough for him to hear, "I love you, Charlie."

Charlie didn't answer, and that's how Riley knew. She turned the knob and exited his apartment. Once she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it and slid down to the floor and started sobbing silently. She stayed in that position for a couple of minutes before wiping her face and heading back to her dorm. The whole subway ride home, she thought long and hard about Charlie.

Once she returned back to her dorm, she immediately broke down in tears. Maya, in her room, heard the loud sniffling and rushed out to her best friend. Riley barely made it to the couch, she was bawling on the floor. Maya helped her up.

"Riles, what's wrong?" Maya asked. "Why are you crying?"

"Ch-Charlie," Riley answered in between sobs. Maya took her into her arms and rubbed Riley's back. "He b-broke up with m-me!"

"That jerk," Maya muttered. She led Riley to the couch and helped her sit down. She sat beside her. "What happened?"

"He said he was jealous of Lucas," Riley breathed. "And that he couldn't be with me anymore if I continued to be friends with him."

"And you chose Lucas over Charlie?" Maya assumed.

"It seems that way, but I never actually chose!" Riley whispered. "But I love Charlie, Maya."

"I know you do, and I should be supportive," Maya began, "but you know I've never liked Charlie. Maybe it's for the best. He's always been really protective of you, to the point where I felt like you were being suffocated."

"It's his insecurities," Riley pointed out. "He says he doesn't have any but I know he does."

"Oh, Peaches," Maya said, pulling Riley's head to her chest. "He's been such a jerk to you since we started college."

"I don't blame him though," Riley replied. "I have been blowing him off a lot to study. Maybe that's the reason. Maybe it's not because of Lucas. Maybe it's just because I've been distant. Maybe he feels that my feelings are fading…"

"Don't blame your education for being the reason," Maya said. "You're a good student. You wouldn't have the grades you have if you hung out with Charlie all the time. Lucas is a good influence on you. It's okay to choose friends over boyfriends."

And Maya was right. Riley shouldn't blame her education for causing the breakup. She knew in her heart that since school started, her feelings for Charlie weren't the same as they used to. Maybe her feelings were fading, and she didn't realize how quickly it was happening. But it wasn't her fault that she wanted to do well in college. All her life she would always put others before herself, and maybe for once, she should be selfish.

* * *

 **I am horrible at writing breakup scenes. But hey, at least Charlie is out of the way! I'm not sure yet if he'll be reappearing in later chapters, but I doubt it. Thanks for all your support guys, I really appreciate it. See you soon!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Thanks for the reviews, I love reading them. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four

Lucas texted Riley the next morning asking if they would be meeting up to study after school. Tuesdays were one of the only days that they didn't have classes together. Riley had a creative writing course as well as an English course. Lucas, on the other hand, had biology and a biochemistry course. Unfortunately for him, Riley had quickly texted him back, declining his offer. The heartache from her breakup with Charlie was in full effect. She didn't even want to leave her room.

"Are you seriously skipping class because of Charlie?" Maya loudly sighed when she entered Riley's room, who was still in bed. Riley flipped her body so that she was stomach down and her face was on her pillow.

"Yes," a muffled Riley replied.

"Quit moping around," Maya said, trying to flip the brunette over, but was unsuccessful. She resorted to grabbing a decorative pillow and hitting Riley with it, hoping it'd knock sense into the brunette. "He's not even worth it."

"Just let me go through this heartbreak in peace," Riley answered. She flipped herself over again and sat up. "I'm just going to stay here, watch some Netflix and eat ice cream."

"Fine," Maya said. She wanted so badly to argue with her, but she was running late for her art history class. "I'll leave you be. What do you want for dinner?"

"Surprise me," Riley said before letting herself fall back onto her pillow.

Maya shook her head amusingly at her best friend and let out a soft smile.

"Alright, Peaches," Maya said. "Text me if you need anything, okay? I should be home by six."

Maya ruffled Riley's already messy hair before leaving the dorm. Riley remained in bed. After contemplating for a couple of minutes, she got up. She decided to take a shower, hoping that it would take the pathetic stench of heartache off her. Her shower ended up turning into a bath, which relaxed her. For a while, she even forgot of Charlie's existence. But then she exited the bathtub and all her memories of him came flooding back into her mind.

Riley wrapped her turquoise towel around her body and returned to her room. She stood in front of her closet, scanning it as she decided what to wear. She settled on loose fitting sweatpants, and an oversized crewneck that her father had given to her because it was too small on him. She pulled her hair into a messy bun. She stared at herself in her full-length mirror for a few seconds and sighed before going to the kitchen.

She decided to actually eat some real food for breakfast so that she could follow through with her plan of stuffing her face in ice cream later. Being too lazy to actually cook something, she ended up preparing herself a Nutella sandwich. She also made herself a pot of coffee. She didn't like caffeine, but she needed it to keep her awake. She barely slept last night because of all her overpowering thoughts of Charlie, and she didn't want to sleep all day. So coffee was her best bet at getting through the day.

Once she had her breakfast ready, she brought it with her to the living room. She turned on the TV and signed into the Netflix account that she and Maya shared. Riley made herself comfortable, covering herself with the blanket that resided on the couch.

* * *

Lucas and Zay were sitting at a table in a student lounge in one of the school buildings. Their classes didn't start for an hour. They preferred to stay in the student lounges instead of their dorm in fear that they would lose track of time and miss class completely.

"Huh, that's strange," Lucas muttered to himself with his phone in his hand.

"What's strange?" Zay, being the nosy person he was, heard Lucas.

"Riley can't study with me today," Lucas replied.

"Well, maybe she's spending time with her boyfriend," Zay offered. "She does have one, you know."

"Yes, I do know," Lucas answered rather quickly, as if to defend himself.

"So you're free after school," Zay concluded. "Let's hang out! I'm going to the batting cages."

"I'd really love to, Zay," Lucas began. "but—"

"But nothing," Zay interrupted, wagging his index finger in front of his best friend's face. "You have no excuse. You're not hanging out with Riley."

"No, I'm not," Lucas confirmed. "But I do still want to study. I have a psychology essay due tomorrow that I need to revise."

"Revision shouldn't take too long," Zay replied. "Come hang with me for a little while. I'll let you leave early."

"Don't you have anything due? Midterms are fast approaching," Lucas stated.

"Most of my courses aren't writing intensive. I'm a kinesiology major," Zay shrugged. "Most of my courses consist of participation marks, labs, midterms, and the final exam."

"Lucky you," Lucas said.

"Not really," Zay shrugged. "That means my midterms and final exam are weighed more heavy. I really gotta focus when the time comes."

"Don't worry, man, I'll help you study," Lucas offered.

"You sure you won't be too busy helping out our sister Riley?" Zay raised a brow.

"Of course not," Lucas shook his head. "I always have time for my best friend."

"So batting cages?" Zay urged.

"For a bit," Lucas agreed.

* * *

Riley had spent the morning wrapped in a blanket on the couch, binge-watching one of her favorite shows, _Once Upon a Time_. She checked the time on the wall clock hanging beside the TV. It was 12 o'clock.

"Hm, time for lunch," Riley said to herself, picking up the remote to select the next episode of the show. While it was loading, she decided to order a medium pizza for herself. She grabbed her phone, wedged in between the couch cushions, and called her favorite local pizza place.

Her pizza came in the promised half hour. She was slightly upset. A couple of more minutes and her pizza would've been free. Nonetheless, she stuffed her face with the pepperoni pizza. She overestimated her appetite and was unable to finish the remaining slices. She saved them for later, as she knew Maya would be interested in them.

As Riley looked in the freezer for her favorite ice cream flavor, cookie dough, her phone rang. She rushed to pick it up from the coffee table.

"Peaches," Maya's voice said.

"Hi, Maya!" Riley greeted. "I'm glad to hear your voice."

"I'm calling to see how you're doing, sweetie," Maya replied. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm feeling better," Riley shrugged, but then realized Maya couldn't see her. "Just a bit lonely, though. I miss my best friend."

"Aw, you're adorable," Maya gushed. "I promise I'll be home as soon as possible. Just continue your binge-watching and you should be fine. Have you thought about him at all?"

"I have," Riley admitted. "But not as much as I thought I would."

"Good," Maya answered. "He doesn't deserve you thinking about him."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Lucas was back in his dorm after spending an hour at the batting cages with Zay. He left Zay there, as he wanted to practice his skills some more. Lucas sat on the couch with the TV on, his feet propped up onto the coffee table. He had his laptop resting on his lap with a word document open that he wrote his psychology essay on. His psychology textbook rested on the coffee table beside his feet.

Half an hour in to revising his essay, there was a knock on the door. Lucas groaned, closed his laptop and placed it beside the textbook. He reluctantly got up to answer the door. He opened the door to reveal Riley, who obviously looked like she had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked like she'd been awake since yesterday.

"Riley, what happened to you?" Lucas gasped, quickly ushering her inside. They barely made it to the couch when Riley threw herself at him. His first instinct was to pull her in for a hug, as it seemed like that's what she wanted. Riley sobbed into his chest. He allowed her to do so for a couple of minutes before pushing her off him. She looked down at her feet.

"What happened?" Lucas repeated.

"Charlie broke up with me," Riley finally whispered, keeping her gaze down.

"Let's go sit down," he offered, leading her to the couch to sit. "When was this?"

"Last night," Riley replied, finally locking eyes with her best friend. "I went to visit him last night because I was tired of fighting and I wanted to make everything better. But turns out he only called me over there to break up with me."

"Did he tell you why?" Lucas asked.

Riley bit her lip, she didn't want to tell him that it was partly his fault.

"Yeah," Riley breathed. She stopped crying and wiped her face to rid of the tears. "He said it's because I don't spend enough time with him. But I thought about it, and I realized that maybe he's right. I feel like my priorities have changed. I love him, but it doesn't really bother me when I don't get to see him. I don't get that pitter-patter feeling in my chest when I am with him. I love him, but things haven't been the same between us since college started."

"So you don't want him back?" Lucas concluded.

"No, I don't think so," Riley replied. "I didn't go to class today. I stayed home. I've had a lot of time to cry and think about it."

"I'm glad you had time to yourself," Lucas commented. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't cry over him, okay? You deserve so much better."

"Thanks, Lucas," Riley answered, offering a weak smile.

"Anytime," Lucas returned.

"So what were you working on when I got here?" Riley sniffled, pointing out the textbook and laptop that rested on the coffee table. "Sorry for interrupting."

"What did I say about apologizing?" Lucas smiled. "It's no big deal. I was just editing my psych essay."

Riley's big brown eyes got even bigger. Lucas gave her a confused look.

"Oh shit," Riley mumbled. "I forgot to do the essay! The one based on the article about the experiment?"

"Yup," Lucas confirmed. "How could you forget?!"

"I was too busy studying for the test," Riley palmed her face. "And in my extra time I would try to spend time with Charlie… I am so screwed."

"Riley, you're stressed," Lucas told her. "I think if you email our prof, he'd understand."

"That's not how things work in college, Lucas," Riley shook her head. "Deadlines are set in stone. No excuses unless it's a medical emergency or a death."

"I was trying to help…" Lucas said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "What are you going to do about it then?"

"Well, the essay isn't even worth much of our final mark," Riley stated. "If I just get high marks on the midterm and the exam, I should be good! Plus, I participate a lot in class. I'm sure I'll be fine… It's a small setback to the start of my college career but if I manage my time—"

"Riley, you're stressing over school," Lucas interjected, putting a hand on her forearm. "This is just a little setback, but yes, you will be fine. I say you should take your mind off Charlie and school for a little bit. Y'know, to clear your mind? Then go back into that study grind with a blank slate."

Riley sighed, "I guess you're right."

"Tell you what," Lucas had a sudden idea. "There's a Halloween party that one of mine and Zay's baseball buddies is throwing this Friday. You should come!"

Riley was hesitant to answer.

"I don't know…" Riley's voice trailed off. "I really should be using that time to study some more…"

"Come on, when was the last time you've been to a party?" Lucas asked.

"Prom after party," Riley answered quickly.

"That was a while ago," Lucas commented. "Just come with me to the party?"

"Fine," Riley gave in. "I don't have a costume though."

"I don't either," he shrugged. "Maybe we could do a matching one?"

"No, no. I don't want people thinking we're a couple. Because we're not," Riley shook her head.

"Fair enough. Don't want to start rumors," Lucas agreed.

"I'll think of something," Riley answered. She checked the time on her phone. "I should get back. Maya's going to be home soon and she's bringing me dinner. Good luck on the essay."

Lucas nodded, "Thanks. I know we're only a couple of floors apart but get home safe, okay?"

"I will," Riley smiled. "Thanks for making me feel better."

Lucas hugged her before Riley returned to her dorm. Maybe her breakup with Charlie was a good thing. Maybe now she could properly focus on more important things, like school and her friendships.

* * *

 **I try to be a couple of chapters ahead so the next update won't be until Friday. Hopefully this chapter holds you guys over! Who else is excited to see what happens at the Halloween party? Any guesses as to what Riley and Lucas will dress up as?**


	5. Chapter Five

**I was waiting all week to post this. I had fun writing a drunk Riley because I imagine her to still be all smiley and everything, but she doesn't have too much control over her body so she's just flailing around. Enjoy guys!**

* * *

Chapter Five

"What do you wanna go as?" Maya asked. She and Riley were at a pop-up costume store near their former high school, Abigail Adams High. They were buying costumes for the Halloween party Riley was attending the next day.

"Something cute," Riley beamed, looking through a clothes rack full of women's costumes. "You know I'm not too big on all that scary stuff."

"What about a princess?" Maya offered, walking to the clothes rack beside the one Riley was at. "You've always wanted to be a princess. It was your seventh grade dream, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Riley tilted her head. In the seventh grade, she ran for class president, or as Riley would like to call it, class princess. She ultimately lost to Farkle, which didn't bother her too much because he requested that she be his vice president, or, vice princess.

Maya searched through some costumes when she found something.

"Who did you say was your favorite Disney princess again?" Maya inquired.

"Belle," Riley quickly answered with a grin. "I like that she saw the good in the Beast—"

"Here ya go," Maya pulled out a Belle costume and held it up for her and Riley to look at.

"I love it!" Riley beamed and grabbed the costume from Maya.

"Maya, I found you a costume," Riley said. She pulled out a female Jack Skellington costume.

"Now that's a costume I'd wear," Maya stated, taking it from Riley to examine.

"You know, Maya, you _can_ come with me to the party if you want," Riley encouraged.

"No, no," Maya shook her head, putting the costume back on the rack. "I told you I can't, Peaches. I have an art installment I'm attending. I somehow was able to convince Josh to come with me."

"Uncle Josh _loves_ Halloween," Riley commented. "Wouldn't be fair if you took that from him."

"I love Halloween too," Maya pointed out.

"So both of you come to the party!"

"Peaches, I can't," Maya persisted. "All of this art stuff is my future. I need to start paying more attention to it."

"Alright fine," Riley sighed. "I'm proud of you that you're taking your future seriously, but next party I'm bringing you with me."

"Next party?" Maya raised a brow. "Wow, college girl Riley here is getting invited to all the parties! Who are you and what have you done with my Peaches?"

Riley giggled, "When Lucas invited me to the party I thought it would be good for me. It's not a bad thing to party every once in a while. I feel like it'll help me loosen up."

* * *

Later that day, Lucas and Zay also stopped at a costume shop, but one in East Village.

"Huh, so Riley's your date to the Halloween party?" Zay teased.

" _No_ ," Lucas replied flatly. "I invited her because her boyfriend broke up with her and she's under school stress. She has a lot on her plate."

"We were supposed to go together, man!" Zay reminded him. "To make it up to me for how much time you spend with her."

"I went with you to the batting cages, remember?" Lucas said. "My best friend needs me; I need her to destress."

"I'm your best friend too," Zay scoffed.

"Yes, but we live together," Lucas replied. "We can hang out whenever."

Zay rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I'm okay with her being your other best friend and being your sister and all, but if she turns into your brother then we have a problem here."

"Calm down, Zay," Lucas said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "No one can ever replace you."

"Ew, stop being so gross," Zay scrunched his face and swatted Lucas's hand. "We're men, man."

"Geez, sorry," Lucas said. "I can't express my appreciation for my best friend? That's bullshit. It's sexist. I believe that males should be able to express their feelings the same way that females do. Screw this whole 'being manly' concept."

Ignoring Lucas's amusing rant, Zay examined a wall covered in men's costumes.

"So I was thinking we should be cowboys," Zay said.

"Cowboys?" Lucas repeated. "How stereotypical. Don't mess with Texas, you should know that."

"No, that's not what I meant," Zay replied. He pointed to a costume on the wall. The man in the picture looked like he was riding a horse. But it was only an illusion, the pants were the horse with little legs hanging over the body of the horse, and the top was a plaid shirt. The costume also included a cheaply made cowboy hat. "I meant this."

"Oh my god, that's hilarious," Lucas laughed, jumping up to grab two of the comedic costume. "We're totally getting this."

* * *

That Friday night, cowboy Lucas picked up Riley as Princess Belle from her dorm and they made their way to another student residence building, one much bigger than the one they lived in. Zay had arrived to the destination earlier, as he promised he would help set up the party.

"This is so funny," Riley couldn't help but laugh when she saw Zay at the party and realized that he was matching with Lucas. "This is genius, who came up with the idea?"

"Me," Zay beamed. He pointed at Lucas, "He thought it was dumb."

"Only because I thought you wanted to be actual cowboys," Lucas pointed out.

"Let me get a picture of you two," Riley offered, pulling out her phone. Lucas and Zay posed together in a very amusing way, which made it a bit hard for Riley to take the photo with a steady hand.

"Thanks, Riley. Let me take a photo of you guys," Zay replied, taking the phone from Riley. She walked over to stand beside Lucas. He put his arm around her and she posed by placing her hand on her hip. "How cute."

"Hey man, lemme take a picture of all three of ya!" a boy chimed in, taking Riley's phone from Zay. Zay shrugged and joined Lucas and Riley, standing on Riley's other side. A few photos were taken, and the trio did some funny poses.

"Thanks, Ashton," Zay said.

Ashton returned Riley's phone to her. He offered his hand for her to shake, "I'm Ashton. Zay and Lucas's friend."

"Hi Ashton, I'm Riley," Riley shook the boy's hand.

"I'm guessing you're Lucas's girlfriend?" Ashton assumed. "Zay told me Lucas was bringing a girl."

Riley and Lucas exchanged looks. Lucas then looked at Zay before returning his gaze to his friend Ashton.

"No, no, she's my best friend," Lucas denied, shaking his head. "Her boyfriend just broke up with her so I invited her to let loose."

Riley shot Lucas a death glare for bringing up her breakup.

"Well, I'm sorry about that," Ashton apologized, turning to Riley. "The dude's stupid for breaking up with you. You seem like a really nice girl."

"Thank you, it was nice meeting you," Riley smiled.

"It was nice meeting you too," Ashton replied. "I'll be around if you guys need me. I hope you all enjoy yourselves! The alcohol is in the back."

After Ashton left, Zay and Lucas was conversing while Riley was going through the photos they took. Then she got a text message from Monica. Yes, Charlie's childhood friend, Monica. Riley was never close with Monica, so she was confused as to why she would be texting her. She opened the message and softly read it to herself, "Hey Riley. It's Monica. I just wanted to thank you for being so understanding and allowing me and Charlie to finally be together without sneaking around behind your back. I felt guilty about it for the past couple of weeks, and I kept telling him to tell you about it, so I'm glad he finally did. I'm sorry about it though. You're a pretty cool person for understanding."

Riley couldn't believe it. She was pretty much over Charlie, but this text message sent her over the edge. Charlie was cheating on her with Monica for at least the past few weeks. And yet Charlie had the audacity to accuse her of cheating on him with Lucas. She took a deep breath. Now she knew for sure that he was no good for her.

"I'm gonna go get some drinks," Riley announced before leaving Lucas and Zay. She figured that she would have fun and that alcohol would fully flush away any lingering feelings she had for Charlie. Riley found the drinks and poured herself Vodka and a tiny bit of Coke in a solo cup. She drank two cups of the drink and found her way to the dancefloor. Music was blasting and people were dancing. She felt tipsy but she knew she wanted to dance. So she did. She made some friends on the dancefloor, ones that she knew she wasn't going to remember in the morning. She drank a couple more drinks, including Smirnoff ice and some beers.

Riley took some shots with her temporary friends, before Lucas pulled her aside.

"You okay, Riles?" Lucas asked. "Zay and I have been watching you for the past hour, you look like you've been drinking a lot."

"I'm fine," Riley slurred. She was dizzy and felt hot, but she was still aware of what was going on around her. Riley swayed from side to side and was about to fall if Lucas hadn't caught her.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Lucas pressed. He was still holding Riley up. He helped her to sit on a nearby vacant couch.

"Yes, Lucas," Riley said, playfully slapping his arm. "I'm having fun! Aren't you? Here, have a drink!" Riley grabbed a solo cup from the table in front of them and offered it to Lucas.

"No, Riley, you can't take random people's drinks," Lucas shook his head, taking the drink from her and setting it back down. "That's dangerous. But yes, I've drank a few beers and I'm having fun too. Probably not as much as you, though."

"Probably not," Riley beamed. She aggressively hugged Lucas. "I'm having so much fun! Thank you for taking me to this party! My mind's clear of all things Charlie. I'm ready to start fresh."

"That's good to hear," Lucas answered, gently pushing her off him. She was hugging him just a little too tight for comfort. "You know; I think you'd be better off if you stayed single for a while."

"Why?" Riley asked, waving her hand around. "I'm totally over him. That douche cheated on me."

Lucas's eyes grew wide, "Really?"

Riley incoherently nodded.

"I never liked him anyway," Lucas mumbled to himself. He knew Riley was drunk but with how she was acting at the moment, he was sure that she'd remember this in the morning. "I'm telling you, if you stay single, you'll have a lot of time to study without worrying about not spending enough time with your significant other. No boyfriend, no distractions, no problem."

"Huh," Riley stroked her chin in contemplation. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea, cowboy."

"Right?" Lucas laughed at the way Riley called him 'cowboy.' With a smile, he said, "It'll be good for you, princess."

"I'll do it," Riley agreed. She paused, then added, "But only if you do it too."

"Me, why?" Lucas asked, putting a hand on his chest. "I'm already single. I have no distractions. I'm doing pretty well."

"Yes," Riley nodded rather uncontrollably. "I know. But it'll make it easier for me to not date if I don't see you dating anyone either."

"Okay, that sounds fair," Lucas replied. "Do you want to make this a pact? Stay single until the end of the school year?"

"No casual dating," Riley scrunched her face, raising an index finger. "That always leads to relationships."

"That's true," Lucas nodded. He offered out his hand. "So do we have ourselves a deal?"

"Yup," Riley confirmed, shaking his hand.

* * *

 **The pact has been made! Wonder if they'll remember about the pact in the morning? Also, regarding Lucas and Zay's costume, I had a really hard time trying to explain what it looked like but I'm sure you all knew what I was talking about. Next chapter should be up by Sunday!**


	6. Chapter Six

**Charlie really is a jerk, huh? (Well, at least in this fic.) Originally I wanted him to be Riley's male counterpart and be all positive and smiley, but it was hard to make him look like a bad guy. On with chapter six!**

* * *

Chapter Six

"Ow," Riley said, rubbing her head as she left her room to go to the kitchen. She had gotten home way past midnight last night from the party. She remembered the events of the party perfectly fine, but she was unsure of how she got home. She woke up at around 11 am.

"Sounds like you have a hangover, Peaches," Maya observed, sitting at the kitchen table. She was resting her chin on her hand, amused by the sight of her hungover roommate.

"A hangover? Oh no," Riley sat beside Maya. Riley placed her head in her hands. "I don't feel good, Maya."

"Maybe you shouldn't have drunk so much," Maya pointed out, rubbing her best friend's back. "Do you remember anything from the party?"

"I remember most of it, yeah," Riley nodded her head. She weakly smiled, "I had fun."

"I'm glad, Peaches," Maya replied. "You really needed this."

Riley remembered the text she received before she decided to get drunk last night then frowned.

"Now let me help get rid of your hangover," Maya offered, not noticing Riley's frown. She got up and got Riley a glass of water. Riley quickly downed the liquid. Then Maya made some chicken noodle soup for herself and Riley. All the while, Riley had eventually rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. She groaned every once in a while to express the pain resulting from her headache.

"So what happened?" Maya inquired when she returned back to the kitchen table with her and Riley's soup. "Meet any cute guys?"

"Huh," Riley said, taking a mouthful of the broth. "I made some friends. I danced with said friends. I drank. _A lot_. Spent some time with Lucas and Zay. Oh, and I made a pact with Lucas."

Maya's face lit up, interested in what Riley had gotten herself into.

"We made a pact to stay single for the year," Riley shrugged.

"What, why?" Maya scoffed. "That sounds dumb."

"I'm okay with it," Riley said. "I think it'll be good for me. Focus on school, no distractions by boys. I have the rest of my life for love."

"I guess that sounds like you," Maya tilted her head. "I have a question, by the way."

"Shoot," Riley urged.

"I don't ever recall you ever drinking that much that you'd get a hangover," Maya observed with a sudden look of worry on her face. "Did people force you to drink more? Was it Lucas? I knew he was no good. Riley, don't give in to peer pressure!"

"Peaches, calm down!" Riley said, taking a hold of Maya by the arm. "No one forced me to drink more. I wanted to."

"Oh?" Maya looked skeptic. She knew there must have been a reason for Riley to drink that much. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive," Riley nodded.

"Riley…" Maya said sternly.

Riley bit her lip and furrowed her brows. She and Maya had a staring contest for about a minute before Riley caved.

"Okay, okay!" Riley threw her arms in the air in defeat. "Right when I got to the party I got a text from Monica."

"Who's Monica?" Maya inquired.

"Charlie's best friend since like forever," Riley replied. "I thought I told you about her before?"

"No," Maya shook her head. "Remember I told you not to mention anything Charlie related to me unless necessary?"

"Oh, right."

"So what did Monica say?"

"You're never going to believe this," Riley began. "But turns out Charlie being jealous of Lucas was total bullshit. I thought it was suspicious that he started getting jealous of him because the guy's so secure and arrogant."

"Oh, so you knew he was arrogant," Maya said. "Good."

"I did," Riley confirmed, nodding her head. "I just learned to see through that. But anyway yeah, so Monica texted me thanking me for being understanding. Understanding of what? Understanding that Monica and Charlie are dating now."

"What the hell," Maya muttered.

"That's not even the best part!" Riley was oozing with fake enthusiasm. "Apparently they've been together for a while! And she apologized for it. She said she felt guilty sneaking around behind my back."

"That jerk," Maya declared.

"That message really irritated me," Riley admitted. "So I drank my feelings away."

"That's understandable," Maya commented. "I'm really sorry, Riles."

Riley shrugged, "That's okay. I felt that I was losing feelings for him anyway since college started."

"Maybe this pact will be good for you," Maya replied. "Focus on yourself for a change."

* * *

Lucas woke up that morning with a small hangover. He had a slight headache that didn't bother him too much, so he didn't bother trying to cure his hangover. He left his room and headed to the living room to watch _The Walking Dead_. Ten minutes later, Zay had woken as well and joined him.

"That was some party, huh," Zay stated with a groan, rubbing his temples with both hands. He noticed how oriented Lucas was compared to him. "How are you taking this hangover better than me?"

"I didn't drink as much as you," Lucas replied, not taking his eyes off the TV. "Besides, I had to make sure Riley wasn't doing anything stupid."

"You sure you had fun last night?" Zay inquired. "Even if you were babysitting?"

"I wasn't babysitting," Lucas corrected. "She's my best friend and I care about her well-being. Plus, she had a new discovery last night about her breakup."

"And what was that?" Zay inquired.

"Turns out that jerk Charlie was cheating on her," Lucas replied rather tensely.

"Wow, you seem provoked by this," Zay observed with a smirk.

"She's my best friend and I care about her," Lucas repeated calmly.

"Well I think Riley was handling herself fine at the party last night," Zay said. "She didn't do anything crazy or something she'd regret."

"Yeah, because I was there to tell her to stop drinking so consistently. You were there, you saw how much she was drinking," Lucas replied. "She was taking shot after shot and if I drank any more than I did, I wouldn't have been able to help her back to her dorm. Hell, I probably wouldn't have been able to get myself back."

"I got home just fine," Zay crossed his arms over his chest, slouching in his seat. "What a gentleman you are."

"Thanks," Lucas replied monotonously. "I wonder how she's handling her hangover. There's no way she didn't wake up without one."

"Why don't you go visit her?" Zay suggested. "I mean, you're always together anyway."

"To study, Zay," Lucas reminded him.

"Oh whatever," Zay waved him off. "I'm fairly positive that you guys talk about things other than school. Otherwise, how else would you guys have gotten so close?"

"I don't like it when you play games with me," Lucas narrowed his eyes at Zay.

"You like it when I tease you, don't deny it, man," Zay replied.

"It depends on what it is," Lucas said.

Zay nudged him, "Thanks for hanging out with me last night though! When you told me you were bringing Riley I was so scared that you'd be by her side the entire night that we wouldn't be able to have our guy time."

"I told you," Lucas stated. "Even though I have another best friend doesn't mean I'm going to forget about you. Don't be crazy, Zay."

"Thanks, man," Zay fist bumped with Lucas. "I should probably stop teasing you about Riley since all you guys are ever going to be is best friends."

"Yes, you should," Lucas nodded, "it's slowly getting annoying and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop."

"Yeah, yeah," Zay rolled his eyes. "How is she though? Did she seem like she was clearing her head?"

"Yeah, she seemed so stress free. So I made a pact with her," Lucas informed Zay. "Riley looked like she was having so much fun letting loose and clearing her mind that I didn't think she'd want distractions when it came back to her school work. I suggested that she should stay single for at least the school year so she could build a strong foundation for her college career."

"And she agreed?" Zay raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"She did," Lucas nodded. "Only if I did the same. She said it's only fair."

"Looks like you've already broken that pact," Zay chuckled. He was very amused when he realized something that Lucas had obviously forgotten about.

Lucas scrunched his face, "What do you mean?"

"You're seeing Missy, aren't you?"

* * *

 **Things are getting interesting! See you guys in a couple of days.**


	7. Chapter Seven

**I know I updated yesterday but I was in such a good mood today that I couldn't wait to post this! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

For the next couple of days, Lucas thought about how he was going to tell Riley about Missy Bradford. Missy Bradford was a girl in one of Lucas's lectures. She sat beside him one day and they had a casual conversation during the ten-minute break in between the two-hour lecture. Within those ten minutes, Lucas had decided that she was cute and she was a girl he wanted to get to know better. So, he asked her out. They've been on two dates but they wouldn't consider themselves to be exclusive.

Riley didn't know about Missy, mostly because whenever Lucas wanted to bring her up, Riley would interrupt and complain about whatever problems she was having with Charlie at the time. So, Lucas didn't say anything. He didn't think it mattered.

After being friends with Riley for over two months now, Lucas had gotten to know her really well. He knew that Riley was the type to look out for her friends and was very loyal, so any kind of secret would get her mad. Missy wasn't a secret, but now with the pact that they made, Lucas figured that if he didn't tell her as soon as possible, it would ruin their blossoming friendship. And he didn't want that.

Lucas and Riley were at a local coffee shop one day in between their classes during the lunch hour. Riley had her headphones on and was twirling a pen in her hand while her gaze was on her notebook. She was trying to do an assignment for her writing class but was unfortunately struck with writer's block.

Lucas, on the other hand, seemed uneasy. He kept sipping his coffee and shaking his right leg. Looking at Riley, he wasn't sure if he should mention Missy. But he figured that now was a good a time as any.

He tapped on Riley's hand that was resting beside her notebook. She looked up at him with attentive eyes. She put her pen down and took off her headphones.

"Yeah, Lucas?" she raised her eyebrows.

Lucas smiled sheepishly. He didn't know where to begin.

Riley jerked her head forward, urging for him to speak with narrow eyes.

"Oh, right," Lucas replied. He looked away from her, unable to maintain the eye contact. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Riley asked.

"Remember the pact?"

Riley nodded, "I know I was drunk when we made it, but I remember it all very clearly. And I never break promises. I'm very loyal. I'm like a puppy."

"Yeah, I know," Lucas chuckled. "But there's something that you should know."

"Go on…" Riley's voice trailed off.

"Well, when we made the pact there was something—someone that I forgot about," Lucas explained. "You see; I was seeing this girl from my biochemistry class. Her name's Missy, and I've been on a few dates with her. We're not exclusive or anything, but I thought it was worth mentioning to you."

Riley raised a brow. She looked slightly unamused.

"Are you mad?" Lucas asked nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

Her unamused face quickly turned into an annoyed one.

"Uh, yeah," Riley answered in a 'duh' tone. "I'm not mad that you're seeing this Missy girl. I'm upset because we just made the pact and you're already breaking it."

"Technically, I didn't break the pact because I've been seeing Missy _before_ we made the pact," Lucas stupidly pointed out.

Riley shot him daggers with her eyes.

"I should shut up…"

"Look, Lucas," Riley sighed. "If you really like Missy, then I can't force you to keep this pact."

"But I made the pact," Lucas stated. "It doesn't seem fair to break it off just like that. I'm not the type of person to break promises either, Riley."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I never even liked Missy that much anyway," Lucas shrugged. "That's why we're not exclusive. She's a cool girl and all but she's not someone I see myself being in a relationship with. Plus, I haven't talked to her in a while because I've been busy with school. I'll end things with her. Your friendship is more important."

"Are you sure?"

Lucas nodded, "It's not fair to you. And you're my best friend."

"Okay then," Riley pursed her lips.

They sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being honest, I really appreciate it," Riley said before going back to her work.

Lucas stared at her, wondering how a girl like Riley had managed to sneak into his life and become one of his best friends.

* * *

"You're breaking up with Missy?!" Zay asked, shocked. "But she's hot!"

"I'm not breaking up with her, I'm _ending_ things with her," Lucas corrected. "She's not my girlfriend. And it's not fair to Riley and the pact."

"But is it fair to you?" Zay shot back. "I get that you made this pact but it's not too late to back out. Especially since you've been on a couple of dates with Missy."

"I don't see myself spending the rest of my life with her," Lucas said truthfully. "Yeah, she's hot, but she's not someone I can relate to emotionally. And you know that when I date, I tend to look for someone I can see myself growing old with."

"Suit yourself," Zay shrugged. "If you won't date her, then I will."

"Really, Zay?" Lucas gave his best friend an unamused look. "What about Vanessa? You know, our best friend since childhood, and your _girlfriend_."

"Oh, I was kidding!" Zay replied, feeling stupid that Lucas thought he was serious. "I love Vanessa, you know that. I wouldn't trade her for the world."

"Mhm," Lucas said.

Vanessa completed the trio with Lucas and Zay. They met her in the first grade when she was grouped with the boys for a group activity. They've all been together ever since. And throughout the years, Lucas had noticed an increasing mutual romantic interest between his two best friends. So, he set them up and they eventually started dating in the tenth grade. Sure, Lucas sometimes felt like a third wheel whenever they're all hanging out together, but he didn't mind. Now, Vanessa went to college at Princeton, studying to become a school teacher and still in a relationship with Zay. Only being two hours away from each other, she and Zay tried to see each other as frequently as they could, alternating visiting each other on the weekends when they had the time to do so.

"I miss her," Zay sighed. "I know we constantly talk and I saw her a couple of weeks ago but I miss her."

"Gross," Lucas scrunched his face. "Well, we're all going back to Texas for Thanksgiving. We'll both get to see her."

"You better not be a third wheel," Zay poked Lucas's chest.

"Oh, shut up," Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go meet up with Missy."

"Good luck, bro," Zay patted him on the back.

* * *

Lucas and Missy agreed to meet at a local pizza place. He decided to bring up their 'relationship' after they had dinner, just so they could catch up, and he could suggest maintaining a friendship after. Lucas didn't want to hurt her. In fact, he didn't want to hurt anyone. That was just the type of guy he was.

"Lucas!" Missy greeted the boy with a hug. He was waiting outside of the pizza parlor for her.

"Hey, Missy," Lucas smiled.

They entered the pizza joint, ordered food, and settled themselves in a booth. They caught up on each other's life. Lucas had previously told Missy about Riley, so he mentioned that he's been helping her cope after a bad breakup. Missy didn't have much to say, nothing has changed since she's last seen him.

"I'm surprised you asked to meet with me today," Missy mused. "You've been busy. I'm glad you hadn't forgotten about me."

"Yeah…" Lucas's voice trailed off. "I know we were never official. And don't get me wrong, I had a great time on the two dates we had. It's just that, I'm not looking for a relationship right now. But you're a really sweet girl and I'm okay with remaining friends if you are."

Missy didn't seem too upset.

"I get it," Missy replied. "College is a very difficult time and it's even harder being in a relationship. Plus, it's a time where people are finding themselves. I totally understand."

"Really?" Lucas let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," Missy nodded. "I'm totally cool with being friends."

"Oh thank god," Lucas replied. "I was scared this was going to go horribly wrong."

Missy shook her head, "No, don't worry, I'm fine with it. You really are a nice guy, Lucas Friar."

* * *

 **So Lucas ended things with Missy... for Riley. Do you think it's because of the pact or because he might like her?**


	8. Chapter Eight

**This chapter includes Farkle and Smackle's first appearance! We get to see insights on Rucas's friendship/relationship from their friends' point of view.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

"I'm so excited for today!" Riley said with enthusiasm. She had the biggest smile on her face.

"Is there something important planned?" Maya questioned, scratching her head.

"We get to meet Farkle's girlfriend!" Riley informed the blonde. "I can't believe you forgot. Our best guy friend met the love of his life. Why are you not excited?!"

"Because I don't think anyone's good enough for our Farkle," Maya scrunched her face and waved her hand in the air.

"Maybe you're just jealous?" Riley offered.

Maya scoffed, "Of who? Farkle's girlfriend?"

Riley nodded.

"I would never!" Maya gasped. "Farkle's our special little boy, and it's our job to look out for him."

"Yeah, yeah," Riley waved her off. "Go get ready, they should be here soon."

"Fine, fine," Maya rolled her eyes before returning to her room to make herself presentable. Although Maya didn't want to meet her best friend's new girlfriend, she still wanted to make some kind of impression on her. An impression that said, 'don't hurt Farkle or you'll have to deal with me.'

Half an hour later, there was a loud knock on the door. Maya's eyes lit up and hurriedly answered the door. She was greeted by Farkle Minkus and his girlfriend. His girlfriend was a lot smaller than Maya, she only reached Farkle's shoulders. She had medium-length black hair in loose curls and wore glasses that complimented her face shape. She had a grin on her face that expressed her excitement to be meeting her boyfriend's best friends.

"Peaches!" Maya called. "They're here!"

Riley quickly appeared in the room within seconds.

"Hi, I'm Riley Matthews," Riley offered her hand, which Farkle's girlfriend shook.

"Maya Hart," Maya shook the girl's hand as well.

"Hello, Riley Matthews and Maya Hart," the girl said. "My name is Isadora Smackle."

Farkle just stood and smiled at the first interaction of three of the important ladies in his life. He hoped that Riley and Maya would get along with her. He wasn't too worried about Riley, as Riley liked everyone, but he feared that his girlfriend would not get the Maya Hart stamp of approval. Riley and Maya's opinion mattered to Farkle. They always looked out for each other and wanted what was best for each other.

"You guys can call her Smackle," Farkle chimed in. "Or Izzy."

Smackle playfully shoved Farkle and said, "Hey! Only you get to call me Izzy."

"Then I guess we'll call you Smackle," Riley replied with a smile.

Riley pulled in Smackle for a hug, which startled her. Riley then pulled in Farkle to the hug, squeezing the two as tight as she could. Maya rolled her eyes and stood off to the side with her arms crossed. She wasn't really big on group hugs.

"I am _so_ _so_ happy for you two!" Riley said, still hugging the two. "I'm so excited to get to know Smackle!"

"Alright, alright, enough with the hugging!" Maya interrupted. "Where are we going, Farkle?"

"Well, Izzy here heard about this smoothie place a couple of blocks from here and she wanted to go," Farkle explained. "She loves smoothies."

"So do I!" Riley said.

"You love everything," Maya reminded her.

"Oh, shut up," Riley replied with a smile.

"Shall we get going then?" Smackle suggested, smiling at Riley and Maya's interaction. She could tell that it was a recurring thing between the two.

The group headed out to the smoothie place, which was about a twenty-minute walk from Greenwich Hall. Once they arrived, they all ordered their smoothie of choice and sat at a booth in the back corner of the shop. Riley and Maya sat on one side, while Farkle and Smackle sat on the other.

Riley and Maya seemed to hit it off quickly with Smackle, which was surprising to Maya because she didn't think she'd be too fond of the girl. But Smackle was very much Farkle's female counterpart, so it made it easier for Maya to get along with her.

Farkle was glad they were all getting along, taking a few pictures of the meeting to post on social media. He quickly grew annoyed, though, when they began sharing embarrassing stories about him. He had a feeling that this would become routine once they all started hanging out regularly.

* * *

"What are we doing here, Zay?" Lucas asked as he and Zay entered a smoothie shop.

"To get smoothies, duh," Zay replied. He mumbled to himself, "Academic athlete my ass."

"Hey! I heard that," Lucas hit Zay's arm.

"There's a really good review in the school newspaper about this place," Zay explained. "And you know I love me my smoothies. It's a healthier alternative than sodas."

Lucas suddenly heard a loud, all too familiar laugh coming from the other side of the room. His gaze followed the delightful sound and was surprised to learn that it was Riley's laugh. Riley was sitting at a booth in the corner of the smoothie place with Maya, and two other people he didn't recognize.

"Hey, you go order smoothies, I'll be right back," Lucas instructed Zay. "Strawberry banana please."

Zay nodded but was confused at what had caught Lucas's attention. Zay shrugged it off and went to go stand in line to place his order for himself and for Lucas.

Lucas approached the table Riley and her friends were occupying.

"Hey," Lucas sheepishly smiled as he made eye contact with Riley.

Riley smiled back and said, "Hey, Lucas! What are you doing here?"

"Zay wanted to get some smoothies, heard it was good here," Lucas replied, pointing a thumb towards Zay's direction.

"Oh, nice," Riley said, before motioning to her friends she was sitting with. "Well, you know Maya. This is Farkle and his girlfriend, Smackle."

Riley's friends waved to Lucas.

"Nice to meet you all," Lucas said.

"So _you're_ Lucas," Farkle eyed the boy. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise," Lucas replied.

"Farkle, shh," Riley whispered, somewhat embarrassed.

"Ooh, he's cute," Smackle whispered to Farkle, earning herself a light shove from her boyfriend of a couple of weeks.

"Smackle!" Farkle cried out. Whenever Farkle would call her 'Smackle' instead of 'Izzy,' it was a sign that she did something wrong.

"Oh, calm down," Smackle stroked Farkle's forearm. "I have eyes, you know."

As if on cue, Zay approached them with two smoothies.

"Hi Zay," Riley greeted.

"Sunshine!" Zay replied. "What's going on over here?"

"Riley's just hanging out with her friends," Lucas replied, taking his smoothie from Zay. "That's Maya, Farkle and his girlfriend Smackle."

"Hi everyone, I'm Zay," Zay said, giving a small wave to the group.

"Why don't you guys sit with us?" Riley offered with her signature smile that always seemed to reach her eyes.

"Oh, no," Lucas shook his head. "We don't want to intrude."

"Yeah," Zay agreed. "That would be rude."

Maya chuckled to herself, "Hehe, that rhymes."

"We were heading out anyway," Lucas added.

Farkle raised both eyebrows and sat up in his seat, suddenly interested in the situation. He agreed with Riley, "You're not intruding! My two best friends here are getting to know my new girlfriend and they hit it off. They keep talking about girl stuff and I just need more testosterone at this booth. Please sit."

Zay nudged Lucas and said to him, "Well, when he puts it that way. We gotta help a brother out. I wouldn't want to be stuck by myself listening to girl talk either."

"Fair enough," Lucas agreed. He turned to Riley and her friends, "Yeah, sure, we'll stay a while."

Lucas and Zay slid into the booth, Lucas sitting beside Riley on one side, and Zay sitting beside Farkle on the other. The group began to talk about school, their interests, then some time during the conversation, Riley and Lucas had a separate conversation and disregarded the rest of them.

The entire group couldn't help but notice the way Riley and Lucas were interacting. The two had been having their own side conversation, complete with giggles and inseparable eye contact. The others had tried to interrupt the conversation so they could rejoin theirs, but it seemed like Riley and Lucas were in their own world.

"Are they always like this?" Maya asked Zay.

"I don't know," Zay shrugged. "I'm never around long enough to find out."

"Me neither," Maya agreed. "But they claim they're just friends?"

Smackle furrowed her brows.

"Wait, so Riley's _not_ dating him?" Smackle asked Farkle.

Farkle shook his head, "They're best friends. They just met like two months ago, and Riley just got out of a relationship. This is actually my first time meeting him. She talks to me about him, _a lot_."

"Yeah, they _claim_ they're friends," Zay turned to Smackle. "But look at the way they're looking at each other. Best friends don't look at each other like that."

"Well, Lucas is really cute," Smackle said, earning yet another unamused look from Farkle.

"Smackle!"

"What? He is," Smackle defended herself with a whisper. She asked Maya and Zay, "Have you ever thought of setting them up?"

" _No_ ," Zay shook his head. "I learned not to push things that don't wanna be pushed. I pushed a skunk once to get it out of my yard and I smelled for like a week. I'm not even sure how I got so close to the skunk in the first place."

"I agree," Maya nodded, disregarding Zay's skunk story. "Riley would kill me if I interfered with her love life. But there's no doubt they like each other."

"They made this dumb pact not to date for the rest of the school year," Zay informed them.

"I think it's just an excuse so that they don't see each other dating other people while they figure out their feelings for each other," Maya explained. "I believe that they have feelings for each other, they just don't know it yet."

"That seems like a reasonable explanation," Smackle replied. "But if there's anything I know about science, it's inertia. Things will remain in its state unless changed by an external force. We could be that force!"

"You guys," Farkle chimed in. "Have you ever thought that, maybe, _just maybe_ , Riley and Lucas actually _don't_ have any romantic feelings for each other?"

Maya and Zay shook their heads and said in unison, "Nah."

"Well, I believe Riley," Farkle folded his arms over his chest and slid down in his seat. "If she says they're just friends, then they're _just_ friends."

"Oh, Farkle, honey," Smackle put a hand on Farkle's shoulder. "If you believe that, then you're not as smart as I thought."

"I love her!" Maya said with a giant grin on her face, pointing at Smackle.

* * *

 **I'm excited for the next couple of chapters. We'll get to really see this budding friendship/relationship between Rucas. Hope you're all loving this fic so far. We've got a long way to go before Rucas gets to their senses!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Hey guys! I wanted to get this chapter up sooner but I had kind of a hard time writing it. It wasn't necessarily writer's block, it's just that I wanted a lot to happen and so I had to find ways to fit everything without dragging out the chapter. Hopefully you enjoy it anyway!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Midterms were fast approaching, and Riley and Lucas were in full study mode. They decided on a change of location and found themselves at the library most of the time. They were there so often that they quickly found a new favorite place on campus. The atmospheric setting of the library motivated them to study more and take less breaks.

"I'm so scared for this," Riley admitted one day during one of her study sessions with Lucas.

Lucas looked up from his notebook, noticing the worried look on the brunette's face.

"Don't be," Lucas assured her. "You're totally prepared."

"How are you so sure?" Riley questioned skeptically.

"We've been studying for a really long time," he reminded her.

"That's true," Riley shrugged. "I guess I'm just stressed again."

"You have no reason to be," Lucas replied.

"I do," Riley countered. "Remember the essay I missed?"

Lucas pursed his lips, "Yeah. But I know you can make up for it."

"We'll see about that," Riley sighed.

"By the way, Zay's throwing a small party at our dorm after midterms," Lucas said. "Please come."

"Of course," Riley confirmed, releasing a soft smile. "I like going to parties with you and Zay. You guys are fun."

"Okay, hold on," Lucas said, "you've only been to one party with me and Zay, and you barely hung around us!"

"I was going through a breakup," Riley defended herself.

"Fair enough," Lucas shrugged. "Oh, and you can bring your friends, too, if you'd like. After hanging out at the smoothie shop, I feel like the six of us could all be good friends. You sure know how to pick 'em, Riles."

"Yay, I'll let them know," Riley replied, whipping out her phone to send out a group text to Maya, Farkle and Smackle to let them know about the end-of-midterms get-together. She responded, "I have really good friends. And I'm open to the group thing. It was always just me, Maya and Farkle ever since we were seven. It's about time we expanded the group."

* * *

Riley and Lucas, along with the rest of their psychology classmates, waited outside the lecture hall to be called inside. Most students were doing some last minute studying, but not Riley and Lucas. Riley had gained confidence that she knew what she was doing and would do really well on the test to make up for her missed essay. Lucas, on the other hand, never believed in studying minutes before a test.

"Good luck," Riley said to Lucas as they leaned against the wall beside the door to the lecture hall.

"Thanks, you too," Lucas replied with a smile.

"Let's hope all our studying pays off," Riley took a deep breath.

The doors opened and everyone began to rush in. Riley and Lucas smiled at each other as they made their way inside. Lucas threw his arm around Riley and kept his hand on her shoulder until they found their seats. At first, Riley looked confused at the gesture, but she shook it off, realizing he was doing it platonically.

Lucas finished the test before Riley, so he waited for her outside the hall. He was texting Zay, discussing the party that was taking place the next night.

Half an hour later, Riley exited the lecture hall, noticing Lucas sitting on a bench. She walked up to him.

"Hey, you didn't have to wait for me," Riley said, feeling bad that Lucas had just been sitting there for the past half hour.

"It's all good," Lucas responded, "it's what friends do."

Lucas got up and started to walk with Riley out of the building. As they walked back to Greenwich Hall, they talked, as that's what they did best, besides studying, of course.

"How was it?" Lucas questioned as they crossed the street.

"The test?" Riley asked. Lucas had just randomly changed the subject and so she wanted to make sure she was keeping up with the topic.

"Yeah."

"I think I did better than I thought," Riley replied truthfully. It took her the allotted time to finish the test, but she thought she did well enough to bring her grade up to a decent one.

"I told you," Lucas said.

"You believe in me more than I do," Riley chuckled. Anyone who knew Riley knew that she strongly believed in a lot of things, and one of the only things she didn't believe in was herself.

"Of course I do," Lucas smiled. "And I'll believe in you enough for the both of us."

Riley couldn't help but smile, but since they were walking, she was sure he didn't notice. Lucas was such a nice guy, and she loved that he believed in her even though she didn't believe in herself.

* * *

Zay opened the door to be greeted by Riley, Maya, Farkle, and Smackle.

"Hey!" Zay said. He was excited to meet Riley's friends again.

The friends greeted him back. Zay moved out of the doorway to usher in Riley and her friends inside the dorm. The place was already packed with NYU students.

Maya had found someone who was also an art major, so she went off to talk to her and hoped to find other art majors she could network with. Smackle and Farkle decided to get some drinks and dance a bit. Seeing that her friends were occupied, Riley walked through the crowd to look for Lucas, but he was nowhere to be found. She eventually found the drinks table and decided to hang around there for a bit while she observed her friends mingling with other people. Riley had a few drinks, but she wasn't planning on getting as drunk as last time. As she downed another alcoholic beverage, she was greeted by a tall boy with wavy brown hair and chiseled features.

"You in charge of drinks?" the boy asked.

"No," Riley replied. "Just standing here waiting for who knows what."

"Well, what a coincidence, I've been looking for who knows what," the boy chuckled.

Riley couldn't help but smile at the cute boy's lame attempt at humoring her.

"I'm Evan," he stuck out his hand.

"Riley," she replied, shaking Evan's hand.

And with that, Riley and Evan were inseparable for a couple of hours. They talked a lot and got to know each other. They had lots in common. He was also a New York native but spent a lot of time out of the city because his family owned a ski lodge that he helped take care of.

Maya was sitting on a couch next to Farkle and Smackle when she noticed that Riley had been talking to the same boy for a while. She smirked to herself when she saw the two dancing, observing their body language. She could tell that this boy was into Riley, but she couldn't say the same for Riley liking the boy back.

"Riley found herself a potential boyfriend?" Farkle commented once he realized what Maya was staring at.

Maya shrugged, "Probably not. She has a pact, remember?"

"That's true," Farkle said. "You know our little Riley, always loyal to her friends."

* * *

Riley really enjoyed talking to Evan, and she could tell that he was into her. She wasn't in the right place to be dating again, especially with the pact in place. She did like him but she knew she couldn't take it any further.

"It was really nice meeting you, Evan," Riley said. She turned away for a moment and immediately saw Lucas in a group of people, chugging down a can of beer. She turned back to Evan, "But I'm not looking for a relationship at the moment."

Evan nodded, "But for what it's worth, I had a good time."

"Me too," Riley smiled before Evan walked away to find other people to talk to.

Riley sighed and stepped out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. She was thoroughly enjoying the party, although she was getting a bit claustrophobic. Lucas made his way through the living room when he saw Riley outside. He followed her and stood beside her as she gazed up into the sky.

"Oh, hey," Riley turned to her best friend when she felt his presence.

"Hi," Lucas said.

"Hey," Riley repeated with a soft smile. She didn't know why she said that again, but at the moment she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Hi," Lucas repeated as well, releasing a rather sheepish smile. Lucas wasn't sure why he repeated himself too.

They found themselves in a short silence as Riley continued to look up at the sky while Lucas looked at her.

"Watcha doin' out here?" Lucas finally asked. "The party's inside, you know."

"I know, and I'm having fun," Riley nodded, her gaze still on the New York sky, "but I just needed some air. It's getting crowded in there. Plus, I like looking up at the stars."

"Hard to see much of them in a city like this," Lucas said, also looking up at the sky. "Too many buildings in the way."

"Yeah, such a shame," Riley replied.

"You know, in Texas, you can see stars for miles," Lucas said. "It's gorgeous."

"That sounds amazing," Riley mused.

Suddenly, Lucas's face lit up.

"I have an idea," Lucas declared.

"And what's that?" Riley turned back to him, slightly intrigued.

"I'm going home for Thanksgiving," Lucas informed her. "You should come with me and Zay!"

"To Texas?" Riley's eyes grew wide. Lucas's offer took her by surprise, but she didn't exactly hate the idea.

"Yeah, why not? You love the stars," Lucas pointed out. "There's lots of them in Texas. And you've been in this city for your entire life. I think it's about time you venture out into the country."

"I think I might just take you up on that offer," Riley smiled then headed back inside, leaving Lucas out on the balcony by himself.

Riley stepped out of the dorm for a bit to make a phone call. Once finished, she returned to the balcony, as Lucas was still standing there taking in the fresh air.

"Hey," Riley nudged him.

"Hi," he lightly nudged her back.

"Guess who's going to Texas?" Riley beamed.

"Really?" Lucas raised both eyebrows.

Riley nodded.

"Yay!" Lucas cheered, much like what Riley would do. They were starting to rub off on each other, which was understandable considering the amount of time they spent together. He pulled her in for a hug to show his excitement.

* * *

 **So Rucas is going to Texas (with Zay)! Wonder what'll happen there?**


	10. Chapter Ten

**In this chapter, we meet Lucas's family. I named his parents Rachel and Jack (yes, after BMW). I've always liked the headcanon that Rachel is Lucas's mother and I'm not the greatest with coming up with character names so there you go!** **Although they are named after Jack and Rachel from BMW, they are not the actual characters** **. Also, Xander, Lucas's older brother, is based off the character from Bunk'd. I've always thought that Peyton and Kevin looked similar enough that they could play brothers.**

* * *

Chapter Ten

The morning of their flight, Lucas, Riley, and Zay had taken a cab to the airport. Riley could've easily gotten her parents to drive her and the boys to the airport, but she didn't want to bother them at 5 am.

Once they arrived at the airport at around 6 am, a couple of hours early before their flight, they checked in and got through security with no problem. They sat in the waiting area as they waited to be called for boarding.

A girl with curly hair approached the three and greeted the boys.

"Zay! Lucas!" the girl said, pulling the two boys into a group hug.

"Vanessa!" Zay said. "I thought you were flying straight to Texas!"

"I was," Vanessa nodded, "but I wanted to travel with you boys so I changed my flight and took a bus here."

"Well, it's nice of you to join us," Lucas commented.

Riley remained seated with a confused smile on her face. Lucas was quick to notice her expression.

"Riley, this is Vanessa," Lucas introduced, gesturing to the girl who was holding Zay's hand. "Mine and Zay's best friend since childhood."

"And my girlfriend," Zay added with a smile.

Lucas turned back to Vanessa and said, "And this is Riley. She's coming with us to Texas for Thanksgiving."

"Oh, so this is Vanessa," Riley smiled and hugged the girl. "I've heard so much about you!"

"You have?" Vanessa asked. She turned to the boys. "Why haven't I heard about her?"

Zay pointed to Lucas.

"I haven't talked to you in a while, Vanessa," Lucas said. "I've been busy."

"Busy with your girlfriend, I bet," Vanessa smirked. "Totally understandable. Must be serious if you're taking her to meet your parents."

"Girlfriend?" Riley shook her head. "Oh, no. We're just friends. He invited me to Texas because he thought that I'd want to be away from the city for a while."

"Yeah, Ness," Lucas nodded. "She's my best friend."

"Mhm," Vanessa smirked at Zay. Zay gave her a knowing look.

"I'm so thrilled that I get to come with you guys to Texas," Riley said with a smile that reached her eyes. She was so excited she couldn't contain herself. But then again, when was Riley ever excited that she _could_ contain herself? It was her first trip alone with friends and without her parents.

"I'm surprised your father allowed you to go with me and Zay," Lucas said. "Isn't he like super protective?"

"He is," Riley nodded. "But he liked my reckless spontaneity. Said it reminded him of his best friend, my Uncle Shawn."

The four talked while they waited. Vanessa got to know Riley and was impressed by Lucas's taste in friends. She didn't think he'd ever get along with city girls, but she was wrong. Her first impression of Riley was like everyone else's, Vanessa really liked her personality and enthusiasm about everything.

It was about a five-hour non-stop flight from New York City to Austin, Texas. Because Vanessa had checked in at the airport after the three, her assigned seat was far from theirs. Zay had the window seat, Riley had the aisle seat, and Lucas sat in between the two.

When Zay turned to Lucas about an hour into the flight, he noticed the brunette on his best friend's shoulder, fast asleep.

"Oh, what's this?" Zay smirked.

"Hush," Lucas put a finger to his mouth. He tried to turn his head to face Zay without interrupting Riley's slumber. "She's sleeping."

"Ya, I know," Zay nodded. "How cute."

Zay quickly took a photo of the two on his phone, which was already conveniently in his hands. This action was so quick that Lucas was unable to stop him.

"I hate you," Lucas said with narrow eyes.

"You love me," Zay put his head on Lucas's shoulder.

"Please stop," Lucas whined.

"I'm your best friend too," Zay reminded him. "Am I not allowed to put my head on your shoulder?"

"I guess, but—"

"Hush," Zay cut him off. He closed his eyes. "I'm sleeping."

Lucas rolled his eyes and let out a grunt, "This is going to be a long flight."

For the rest of the flight, both Riley and Zay stayed asleep on each of Lucas's shoulders. Lucas tried to get some sleep as well, but with the literal weight on his shoulders, he couldn't find himself falling asleep without shifting and waking one of his best friends.

* * *

The four took a taxi from the airport to their respective destinations. Zay and Vanessa were both dropped off to their houses before Lucas and Riley were brought to the Friar ranch. Lucas's house wasn't too far from Zay's, but a bit farther from Vanessa's.

Lucas and Riley stood at the front porch with their luggage in tow. Lucas rang the doorbell and was quickly attended to. The door opened to reveal a tall blonde woman who had familiar green eyes.

"Momma!" Lucas greeted and hugged the woman. After parting from the hug, he gestured to Riley, "This is Riley."

"Hello, honey," the woman turned to Riley with a genuine smile. It amazed Riley how much this woman resembled Lucas. "I'm Rachel."

"Hello, Mrs. Friar," Riley greeted politely. She was pulled in to a hug by Rachel.

"Come in," Rachel ushered the two inside the house and helped bring their luggage inside.

"Jack! Pappy Joe!" Rachel called out.

Riley examined the room, taking in the difference in décor compared to her parents' apartment. Lucas walked to the doorframe on the other side of the room where two men, one older than the other, entered from.

"Lucas, my boy!" the older man took Lucas in an embrace.

"Son!" the other man said, patting Lucas on the back.

Lucas turned to Riley to introduce her to the men, "Riley, this is my Grandpappy Joe, and my dad, Jack."

"Hi," Riley smiled and shook both men's hands.

"Mom, you know I'm home, too, right?" a boy who looked only a few years older than Lucas ran down the stairs to join the gathering.

"I forgot you were here, Xander," Rachel replied truthfully. "You and Lucas have been out of the house for the past couple of months. Kind of got used to the empty house."

"Oh, who's this?" Xander completely disregarded his younger brother's return and made his way to the brunette.

"I'm Riley," she said with a sweet smile.

"I'm Xander," he replied with a smirk. He turned to Lucas and hit him in the chest, "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend! Wow, I've been so out of the loop with your life."

"Hey, Xander," Lucas greeted, rolling his eyes.

"She's cute," Xander whispered to Lucas, nudging him playfully. "You did good, bro."

"Actually, Riley here is not Lucas's girlfriend," Jack chimed in. "He told your mother and I that Riley is his best friend he made at NYU."

Riley pursed her lips and nodded.

They all sat down on the couches to talk and get to know Riley. Riley didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She thought she would be a bit nervous meeting Lucas's family, but she realized she had nothing to be nervous about. It was just her best friend's parents, after all.

Dinner came around and so they all moved to the dining room to continue their conversation. Once they finished eating, Riley noticed the time and realized she had to go check in to her hotel room she was going to be staying at for the weekend.

"Um, I'll be back in a bit," Riley announced, standing up. She turned to Lucas, "I have to go check in to my hotel. Can you call me a cab?"

"Oh, no, don't be ridiculous, sweetie!" Rachel said, also getting up. "You're staying in the guest room!"

"Are you sure?" Riley said softly. "I already have my room booked."

"Oh, she's very sure," Jack chimed in. "You're our guest, Riley. You're welcome here."

"You're staying here and that's final," Rachel replied with a smile. She waved her hand. "Go cancel your hotel room, and Lucas will bring you to the guest room."

Riley turned to look down at Lucas, who was still sitting. Lucas shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"My parents are really persistent," Lucas informed her. "You gotta stay."

"Guess I'm staying here then," Riley declared. She turned to Rachel and Jack, "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure, dear," Rachel put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid to make yourself feel at home, okay?"

"I won't," Riley said.

Lucas got up from his spot, made eye contact with Riley and returned to the living room to get their luggage. They both grabbed their bags and Lucas led Riley to the guest room to get settled before he made his way to his room.

All the while, Rachel, Jack, Xander, and Pappy Joe remained in the dining room, cleaning up.

"I really like that Riley girl," Pappy Joe said. "She seems like a fine young lady."

"I agree," Jack nodded. "I think she could be good for our boy."

"They're totally dating," Xander smirked. "I approve of her."

"Xander!" Rachel said. "As much as we all like her, I don't think we should be jumping to conclusions, especially since Lucas already told us that they're just friends. Though I wouldn't be opposed to it if they did end up a couple someday."

"I'm telling you, they're probably already a couple," Xander insisted.

Jack shook his head, "I don't think so, son. Lucas was never good at lying to us. There's no way he's lying to us about Riley."

Rachel nodded at her husband's comment. She added, "Besides, I wouldn't have asked her to stay in the guest room if there was something more going on between them. Don't want them getting into any funny business."

"Yeah," Pappy Joe said. "I'm too young to be a great-grandfather."

* * *

Xander was exiting the bathroom when he saw Lucas in the hallway, heading towards his room. Xander approached him.

"So Riley, huh?" Xander looked at his brother knowingly, giving him a light, playful shove.

"Riley? She's like a sister to me!" Lucas said with wide eyes.

"Oh no, you don't want that," Xander shook his head.

"That's what Zay said," Lucas murmured.

Lucas turned back to his older brother, "Riley and I? We're just friends. I swear that's all we are."

"I mean, it does seem suspicious that you brought her here for Thanksgiving," Xander pointed out. "That's usually what couples do. Always a good opportunity to meet the parents."

"It's not like that at all," Lucas said. "I invited her because she wanted to see what Texas was like. She's lived in New York for her entire life. Sometimes the city life can be suffocating. She wanted some fresh air and less ambient light. Besides, you've brought home girls that you weren't dating."

"Yes, but not for Thanksgiving," Xander pointed out. "What did Mom and Dad say when you told them about her?"

"They were more than happy to have another guest at Thanksgiving," Lucas responded. "I brought her here as a friend. That's all we are."

"What if that's not what I think you guys are?" Xander raised a brow.

"Well, you're wrong," Lucas said flatly.

"Well, I'm just putting it out there that we all like her," Xander said, clapping Lucas on the back. "Mom, Dad, Pappy Joe. We all think she'd be good for you."

"I don't care what you guys think," Lucas groaned and sluggishly returned to his room to call it a night. He was glad that his family was fond of Riley, probably almost as much as he was.

As Lucas laid in his bed, attempting to fall asleep, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Riley. He picked it up from his nightstand to read it.

 _From: Riley  
_ _To: Lucas  
_ _Thanks for letting me stay at your place. I really appreciate it. Your family's really nice. I like them._

Lucas quickly replied to her text before placing his phone back on the nightstand and falling asleep.

 _From: Lucas  
_ _To: Riley  
_ _They like you too. And you're welcome, Riles, don't even mention it. Just let me know if you need anything, okay? Sleep well._

* * *

 **So what'd you guys think? Feedback is always welcome! See you in a couple of days.**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Lucas has a surprise planned for Riley! Wonder what it is?**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Riley woke up rather early the following morning. She always had trouble sleeping when she wasn't in her own bed. She sent her parents and Maya a quick text, letting them know that she's excited for her first full day in Texas, and also greeting them a Happy Thanksgiving. She then decided to take a shower and get ready for the day. Luckily, the guest room had a bathroom and so she didn't have to worry about her privacy or disturbing the Friars.

After she finished her shower and changing into fresh clothes, she sat at the window and stared outside while she waited for her hair to air dry. Austin was a lot different from New York City, at least the area that Lucas lived in, anyway. She could see why Lucas had opted to go to NYU, for a change of scenery. She understood why she longed to get out of the city and why Lucas wanted to be in it.

When her hair was fully dry, Riley got up and stood in front of the full-length mirror that was hung on the wall beside the door leading to the bathroom. As she was almost done fixing her hair into two Dutch braids, there was a knock on the door. She quickly secured the braid she was working on and answered it.

"Morning, Riley!" Vanessa greeted with a grin on her face. She looked up and down at Riley. "You're wearing that?"

Riley looked down at her outfit before innocently asking, "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," Vanessa replied, "but you're in Texas. You can't be wearing that, especially with what we're doing today."

"Well, what are we doing today?" Riley inquired.

"Oh, didn't the boys tell you?"

Riley shook her head.

"Well, let's get you some new clothes before we start the day," Vanessa suggested. She walked into the room and grabbed Riley's purse which was on the bed and handed it to her. Vanessa pulled Riley out of the room and down the stairs to the living room, where Zay and Lucas were sitting, watching a replay of a basketball game between the Mavs and the Knicks.

"Where are you two off to?" Lucas questioned when he saw the girls walk towards the front door.

"Lucas, you didn't tell Riley what we were doing today," Vanessa frowned, gesturing to what Riley was wearing. "She's very unprepared. She and I are going to buy appropriate clothes."

Rachel walked into the room with two cups of coffee, giving one to Lucas and Zay.

"Hello, Vanessa," Rachel greeted, pulling the curly haired girl into a hug. Rachel sure did like hugging.

"Hi, Mrs. Friar," Vanessa smiled after parting from the hug.

"You girls heading out?" Rachel turned to Riley, to which Riley meekly nodded.

"Would you like some breakfast first?" Rachel offered.

Vanessa looked at Riley, then back at Rachel.

"That's alright, Mrs. Friar, we'll grab something on the way," Vanessa replied. She turned to the boys, "We'll be back in an hour or so. You guys better be ready when we get back."

"We're already ready," Zay retorted with a scoff.

"Yeah, unlike women, we men don't take hours to get ready," Lucas added.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and stuck her hand out, palm up, towards Zay, "Babe, keys please?"

"You really gonna let her drive your car?" Lucas nudged Zay.

Zay shrugged, "I have no choice, man. She's scary when she doesn't get what she wants."

Rachel bent over the couch and said to Zay, "That's how women work, honey."

Vanessa smiled at the boys' exchange and Rachel's comment, then coughed to remind Zay about his car keys. Zay dug through his pocket to retrieve his keys and put them in Vanessa's hand.

The girls said their goodbyes and headed out the door. They climbed in to Zay's car and Vanessa drove to the nearest mall. They grabbed a quick breakfast from the McDonald's in the mall's food court before Vanessa dragged Riley to her favorite stores. Riley didn't know anything about Texas fashion other than lots and lots of plaid and cowboy boots, so she allowed Vanessa to pick out outfits for her. And she was glad she did, she realized that Vanessa had a great sense of fashion.

"I wanted to become a fashion designer or stylist," Vanessa said, waiting outside Riley's dressing room as Riley changed into the clothes Vanessa picked out for her.

"Well, you're really good," Riley praised, putting on a shirt. "What made you change your mind?"

Vanessa shrugged even though Riley couldn't see, "I dunno, I guess I didn't think I could make it in the fashion industry. There's a lack of teachers in some states so I thought becoming a teacher would be more secure for me. Plus, I love children."

"My father's a teacher," Riley informed her. "He was mine and my friends' teacher for years."

"Is he good?" Vanessa asked.

"The best," Riley replied. "But that's good for you, pursuing something you're passionate about."

"Oh, I'm very passionate about teaching," Vanessa confirmed. "You know, Lucas was right about you."

"Oh? What did he say?"

"When Zay and I got to Lucas's house this morning we talked for a bit. Lucas thought you were still sleeping so we didn't bother waking you up—"

"I've been up since 6 am," Riley interrupted.

"How come?"

"Just couldn't stay asleep," Riley said as she struggled to put on a pair of jeans.

"Oh," Vanessa said, "well, anyway, I asked Lucas to tell me about you and fill me in on all the things I've missed since he and I last talked, because Zay doesn't like to tell me stuff about Lucas because he thinks I should hear it from Lucas myself. But yeah, Lucas said you're a really supportive friend and that you see the good in everyone and everything."

"That sounds about right," Riley replied, putting on cowboy boots. She swung the door open and did put her arms out. "What do you think?"

"I love it!" Vanessa gushed. "And the braids really tie in the outfit."

"So are we done here?" Riley asked. "I love shopping but I hate trying clothes on at the store."

"Just two more outfits," Vanessa promised. "One for dinner tonight, and another one just for fun."

"Fine," Riley rolled her eyes then went back into the change room to change back to her previous clothes.

* * *

"Took you guys long enough," Zay commented when Vanessa walked through the door with Riley in suit.

"You can't rush fashion," Vanessa replied. She turned to Riley, "Go change and then we'll go."

Riley, gripping her shopping bags, went up to the guest room and quickly changed into the first outfit she tried on at the mall earlier.

Minutes later, Zay whistled as Riley walked down the stairs in her newly bought outfit. His whistle caught Lucas's attention, who quickly shifted his gaze to the brunette.

Lucas was stunned and got up to approach Riley, "You look great."

"Thank you," Riley flashed her signature smile.

Vanessa nudged Zay with a knowing look.

"Alright, kiddos, let's get going!" Zay announced, pushing Riley and Lucas out the door. Vanessa followed behind them.

The four friends got into Zay's car. Vanessa took the passenger seat and Lucas and Riley sat in the back, which neither of them protested against.

Zay started the car and proceeded to drive to their destination.

"Where are we going, Lucas?" Riley asked.

"You'll see," Lucas smiled.

"Hey, Friar! No ruining the surprise!" Zay said from the driver's seat, looking in the rear-view mirror to glare at Lucas.

"This is a surprise?" Riley's eyes lit up with excitement. She liked surprises, but she never knew when she was going to get one.

"Yeah," Lucas smiled sheepishly. "When you told me you were joining us in Texas, I had to plan some things to make your stay memorable. Hopefully it gives you a good first impression about my hometown."

"Oh, Lucas, you didn't have to plan anything," Riley said. "I'm fine with just coming here for the stars."

"Don't be silly, Riley," Vanessa chimed in. "Texas isn't just all stars. You'll see."

"Yeah, you can't visit Texas and not experience Texas," Zay added.

"You guys are so nice," Riley gushed.

Once they got to their destination, Riley was delighted. They were at a stable. Presumably where Lucas's twenty-four horses were kept.

"We're going horseback riding?!" Riley said as she and the rest of the group got out of the car.

Lucas nodded with a chuckle, "Yep."

"It's always been part of my princess dream to ride a horse!" Riley said, earning soft smiles from Zay and Vanessa, who had quickly grown fond of the brunette.

"I remember," Lucas replied. "Thought you might want to make that dream a reality."

Riley hugged Lucas and gave him a good squeeze. Once they parted, the four were greeted by Jack.

"My dad looks after my horses now that I'm in New York," Lucas explained, "but you already knew that."

Riley nodded with a smile.

Jack led them inside the stable, which housed different kinds of horses.

Lucas, Zay and Vanessa were quick to approach the horses they wanted to ride. Riley watched them interact with their respective horses. Jack noticed Riley observing.

"Zay and Vanessa grew a close attachment to those horses when they were nine," Jack explained. "Lucas loves all his horses but he also doesn't mind sharing. Pick one, Riley."

Riley walked through the stable with Jack in tow. She examined the remaining twenty-one horses.

"Any?" Riley asked.

Jack nodded.

"They're all so beautiful, it's so hard to choose," Riley replied. She turned to Lucas, who was suddenly by her side. She asked him, "Can I ride them all?"

Lucas chuckled, "I'm afraid not, Riles. We don't have enough time for that. You gotta choose one."

"Um, okay," Riley said. She looked around once again and finally saw one she wanted to ride. She approached the horse with Lucas following her. Jack was helping Zay and Vanessa get their horses out of the stalls to prepare to ride.

Riley started to pet the horse. The horse she chose was a Palomino.

"I figured you'd choose her," Lucas said.

"What do you mean?"

"White horses are usually involved in fairy tales," Lucas replied. "Especially in princess stories."

"I guess you're right," Riley said, keeping her attention on the horse. "I like this one."

"Looks like Aurora here likes you too," Lucas chuckled as Aurora the horse neighed.

"Aurora? As in Sleeping Beauty?" Riley turned to look at Lucas with a raised brow.

Lucas awkwardly nodded.

"You said you named all of your horses yourself right?"

"Yeah."

"You really named one after a princess?"

"I was seven!"

Riley let out a laugh. Lucas rolled his eyes and led Aurora out of the stable. Riley, still laughing, trailed behind.

* * *

With the help of Lucas, Riley climbed up on Aurora.

"You alright?" Lucas asked.

"I'm great," Riley said with a huge grin on her face. Her childhood dream was becoming a reality and she couldn't be any happier.

Lucas explained the basics of horse riding to Riley. He then stood by Aurora as he started walking her around the open field.

"Aren't you going to ride too?" Riley asked.

"Yeah," Lucas said, "but I just wanted to make sure you and Aurora are okay first."

Riley wasn't on the horse for very long but she could already tell her thighs were going to ache after this. She enjoyed herself as Lucas walked around with Aurora. Riley watched as Zay and Vanessa chased each other around on their horses. She wondered how long it took them to master the art of horseback riding.

"You comfortable enough to ride on your own now?" Lucas asked.

"I think so," Riley nodded.

"Alright, I'll be right back," Lucas said, jogging back to the stable, where his favorite horse was waiting by the fence.

"Lucas! Don't leave! What do I do if she gets angry?!" Riley called after him, panicking. Aurora began to move slowly, which startled Riley. She tightened her grip on the reins.

Lucas returned to Riley's side, but this time, he was on a horse as well.

"You're a natural, Princess," he complimented.

"I was freaking out," Riley admitted.

Lucas laughed, "It's okay. I'll lead you two. Aurora's a really good horse. You have nothing to worry about."

Lucas led his and Riley's horses to where Zay and Vanessa were.

"We good to go?" Zay asked.

"Just please don't make Aurora run," Riley requested innocently.

"Oh, you're adorable," Vanessa laughed.

The four friends rode their horses around the field, and the longer Riley was on Aurora, the more comfortable she felt. They rode for about an hour and then led their horses back to the stables, where Jack was waiting.

"Before you guys get off, let me take a quick picture!" Jack said, pulling out his phone. He counted to three and took a couple of photos of the group and was sure to send them to Lucas so he could forward them to his friends.

* * *

 **I rode a horse for the first time back in May so I kind of wrote about my experience through Riley. I probably freaked out more than her, though. But then again, I didn't have a Lucas Friar to help me out. I originally didn't want the horse riding part to take up most of the chapter but when I started writing I just couldn't stop! Please review!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner! I was busy studying for a test I had today and then I went to a Penatatonix concert last night. Also I got writer's block so I wasn't able to finish this as quickly. Hopefully this turned out okay anyway.**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"That was so much fun!" Riley praised. "I can't believe I rode a horse."

"I can't either," Lucas chuckled. "I thought you were going to panic more. But who knew you were so good with animals?"

Riley playfully hit Lucas and rolled her eyes.

"What? Just being honest," Lucas said with a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head.

"Since I'm so good with animals, can I have Aurora?" Riley inquired.

"Where you gonna keep her, Sugar?" Zay asked. "New York City is no place for a horse."

Riley crossed her arms, "I beg to differ. What about those horse-drawn carriages?"

"Doesn't count," Lucas waved her off.

"I'm hungry," Vanessa declared, turning to Lucas. "Where are we going for lunch?"

"Well, since we want Riley to experience Texas, what better way to do so than to take her to Chubbie's Famous Barbecue Pit," Lucas said. "She can enjoy our Texan cuisine while also enjoying our music."

"What a great idea, Lucas!" Vanessa praised. She turned to Zay, nudged him and whispered to him, "Why don't you ever put more thought into our dates like Lucas does with Riley?"

Zay chuckled and replied, "You know they're not dating."

"They might as well be," Vanessa shrugged.

They all returned to Zay's car and headed to Chubbie's. On the way there, Lucas told Riley what to expect at the restaurant and gave her suggestions on what she should eat. Riley enjoyed listening him talk about the places he would always go to in his hometown, she found it amusing how passionate he was about Texas.

Once they arrived at the popular hang-out, they were ushered to a table and ordered their food. They all ordered a rack of ribs, as it was their favorite thing on the menu and they wanted to see what Riley thought about it.

"This is _amazing_ ," Riley said with her mouth full. Her face was covered in barbecue sauce as she finished her ribs.

"Uh, Riley," Lucas said, pointing to his mouth, "you have a little something on your—"

"Oh hush," Riley snapped. "Let me forget about being ladylike for like a minute and let me enjoy these delicious ribs!"

Zay and Vanessa laughed at the two's exchange.

As the group finished their food, a live band stepped onstage and introduced themselves before they started playing songs. Vanessa's face lit up when the music began.

"Let's dance!" Vanessa said excitedly, grabbing Riley to drag her to the dancefloor. But before she could do so, Riley quickly wiped her face clean of the barbecue sauce.

Zay looked at Lucas with an apologetic look on his face, "You know Nessa loves to dance, Luke." He smirked, "I'm sure you'll get a chance to dance with Riley. Come on!"

Lucas and Zay made their way to the dancefloor as well and found the girls. The Texan natives taught Riley how to line dance and she caught on rather quick.

"I didn't know you could dance," Lucas said to Riley. They were standing beside each other, behind Zay and Vanessa.

"There's a lot of things about me you don't know," Riley laughed.

"I doubt it," Lucas replied.

"Well, we do spend a lot of time with each other," Riley mused. "You must know a lot of things about me."

"I like to think so," Lucas answered. "I like spending time with you."

Riley smiled, "You're not so bad a dancer yourself, cowboy."

* * *

The four returned back to the Friar residence after making a couple of more stops to show Riley the wonders of Austin, Texas. They arrived back at Lucas's house just in time for dinner. They all changed before they joined the Friars at the dinner table.

"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!" Pappy Joe greeted.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" everyone returned.

"I'd just like to say that I am very happy that Zay, Vanessa, and Riley are joining us this Thanksgiving," Rachel said, holding up her glass, which prompted everyone to do the same and clink the glasses with each other.

"Zay and I are always here, Mrs. Friar," Vanessa pointed out with a smile. She was basically the daughter Rachel never had, and they were really fond of each other.

"Yeah, we're practically part of the family," Zay added.

"True," Rachel tilted her head. "But this is Riley's first Thanksgiving with us."

Riley smiled.

"I'm sure she'll spend many more with us," Xander smirked. Lucas, sitting across from his older brother, kicked Xander in the shin under the table. Xander looked at Lucas with furrowed brows and said, "Ow! Why'd you kick me?!"

Jack rolled his eyes at his sons' antics and apologized for their behavior.

"So, Riley," Pappy Joe began, "how did you enjoy your day? Where'd my grandson and his friends take you?"

"Well, they spent the morning at the stable," Jack chimed in.

"Oh!" Pappy Joe's face lit up. "Who did you ride?"

"Aurora," Riley beamed. "I really like her."

"She did really well, Pappy Joe," Lucas said. "If you saw her you'd be proud."

"I'll take your word for it," Pappy Joe said.

"Remember when Lucas was _obsessed_ with Sleeping Beauty?" Xander said to Zay with a laugh.

"Oh right!" Zay chuckled. "He was so obsessed he named a horse after Aurora!"

"I was not obsessed," Lucas interjected.

"Oh, honey, you were," Rachel said.

"Yeah, why else would you name a horse after her?" Jack pointed out.

Lucas groaned and slid back into his seat. He was quickly losing his appetite.

"No need to be embarrassed, boy," Pappy Joe said.

After dinner, they all helped clean up. Rachel refused to let Riley, Zay, and Vanessa help, because they were guests, but Lucas somehow convinced his mom to let his friends help with the clean-up process.

Riley offered to help with clearing the plates and placing them into the dishwasher, which Xander decided to help with as well, much to Luccas's dismay. Lucas didn't want Xander talking to Riley because knowing Xander he'd probably just tell her embarrassing stories about Lucas.

"I love your family," Riley said, starting conversation with Xander. She cleared a plate and handed it to Xander to put in the dishwasher.

"Yeah, I guess they're alright," Xander joked with a shrug. "So how'd you meet my brother?"

"I fell on him on the subway actually," Riley said, "like, I actually fell. I'm a klutz. But anyway, turns out we had intro to psychology together. We were best friends ever since."

Xander smirked at Riley's use of the words 'best friends.'

"So what was he like growing up?" Riley inquired. She loved hearing childhood stories about her friends. It made her feel that much closer to them, especially when it was someone she didn't grow up with.

"Funny story, there was this one time—"

"Okay, I think we're done here," Lucas interrupted and pulled Riley away, leading her to the living room.

"What was that about?" Riley asked, plopping down on the couch.

"Just didn't want him telling you things you don't need to know," Lucas said.

"Alright, we're done," Zay announced as he walked into the room. "Your mom said to pick out a movie to watch."

"Oh, we're watching a movie?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, it's a family tradition," Lucas shrugged. "We always watch a movie after Thanksgiving dinner. You know, to spend more quality family time."

* * *

After Zay and Vanessa had left and Lucas's family all went to their respective bedrooms, Riley was keeping Lucas company in his room. Lucas played video games on the TV while Riley was exploring the room that Lucas had grew up in.

Riley saw a framed certificate hanging above Lucas's nightstand. She tiptoed so she was at eyelevel with the document. She squinted her eyes as she read the print. It was Lucas's certificate for riding Tombstone the bull back when he was fourteen.

"So you really did ride a bull, huh?" Riley breathed. It wasn't that she ever doubted Lucas, she just never actually believed that a fourteen-year-old could conquer a bull infamous for throwing people off within two seconds.

"I did, yeah," Lucas nodded, not moving his gaze from the TV screen.

"Wish I could've seen that," Riley commented.

"You can," Lucas said. "I have it on video."

"Ooh, can I watch that?!" Riley questioned, moving so that she was standing behind Lucas, who was sitting on the floor. She put her hands on his shoulders and lightly shook him, startling the boy.

"Not a chance, Riles," Lucas answered, brushing her hands off him so he could resume his gameplay.

Riley pouted but Lucas was too focused on killing zombies to give in to her puppy dog eyes, so she continued to walk around his room to see what other interesting things she could find.

Once Riley had finished examining every inch of Lucas's room, she stopped at the window and looked up at the sky. The sight was all very new to her. She pointed at the stars, trying to count them, but there were too many to do so, so she gave up after the tenth star.

Lucas, who had been unknowingly talking to himself, finally shifted his gaze to see why Riley wasn't answering him. He smiled to himself when he got an idea. He turned off his TV and walked over to Riley.

"Pretty, huh?"

"Mhm," Riley nodded, her eyes still out the window. There was something about the sky here in Texas that fascinated Riley to no end. She understood that everyone saw the same sky no matter where they were in the world, but it was different in Texas and she couldn't place her finger on it.

Lucas allowed Riley to indulge in the beauty of the Texas sky through his bedroom window before he spoke up.

"Come with me, I want to show you something," Lucas said. He looked at what Riley was wearing. She was wearing denim shorts and a t-shirt. "You might want to get a sweater."

Riley was about to protest, but Lucas pushed her out of his room before she could do so. She went to the guest room when she realized she didn't bring a sweater so she returned to Lucas's room.

"I told you to get a sweater," Lucas said.

"Uh, I forgot to bring one," she said sheepishly.

Lucas walked over to his drawers and grabbed a hoodie and handed it to Riley.

"Here, you can wear mine."

"Are you sure?" Riley was reluctant to take the hoodie from him.

"Don't want you getting cold," Lucas replied.

Riley took the hoodie and said, "So I should probably get pants as well?"

"That might be a good idea," Lucas scrunched his face. "I'll meet you out front."

Riley walked back to the guest room and changed into sweatpants and into Lucas's hoodie. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed that she was wearing Lucas's high school hoodie that had the school mascot on the front and 'Friar' written on the back. It was too big for her but she felt comfortable in it.

Riley met up with Lucas on the front porch as instructed. She was surprised to see Lucas leaning against an old Ford pick-up truck.

"Meet my baby," Lucas said, patting his truck. "Got her for my sixteenth birthday."

Riley walked up to him with a confused look, but with a smile nonetheless.

"Where are we going, Lucas?" Riley furrowed her eyebrows.

"You'll see," Lucas smirked. He opened the passenger door for her and closed it once Riley climbed in.

Lucas lightly jogged to reach the driver's side and climbed in as well. They buckled their seatbelts before Lucas started the engine and headed for the road.

* * *

 **Where do you think Lucas is taking her? I'm so excited for you guys to read the next chapter!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**If you guessed stargazing, you're right!** **What a cliché chapter… I swear every fic that involves going to Texas also includes a stargazing scene. But hey, when in Texas, right? I'm super excited for you guys to read this!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

They got to their destination about fifteen minutes later. Lucas parked the truck in the middle of an open field. Riley wasn't sure how far it was from his house because she took a nap on the way there. She figured that if they were going to be out for the night that she would sneak some sleep in.

Lucas and Riley both jumped out of the pick-up truck. Riley leaned against the passenger door and looked around. Lucas grabbed a blanket from the backseat. He walked around to the back of the truck and climbed onto the bed of the truck.

"Oh my gosh!" Riley had both hands covering her mouth. She looked up at the night sky. There were no clouds in sight, just stars that went on for miles. It was the same scene from outside Lucas's bedroom window, but better.

Once the initial shock was over, Riley walked to where Lucas was. He was laying out the blanket he brought and when he was satisfied with the placement, he sat on it.

"What are we doing here, Lucas?" Riley asked with a smile.

"I promised you the stars, didn't I?" Lucas replied, sitting on the blanket. He patted the space beside him, inviting her to sit with him. Riley smiled.

Lucas held out his hand to help Riley climb up on the back of the truck. She scooted to sit beside him.

"This is beautiful," Riley said in awe, returning to look at the sky.

They sat in silence as they both admired the sky. Riley was ecstatic to be under all these stars, it was everything she expected and more. And sitting beside someone who she trusted and thought so fondly of was an added bonus.

"The day I got my truck, I was excited so I drove around town for a couple of hours," Lucas began, breaking the silence between the two, causing Riley to shift her gaze to Lucas. "I found this open field and thought that the stars would look amazing here at night. So I came back, and this has been my spot ever since. I always come here when I want to be alone. The stars help me focus. There's never a night where the stars don't shine here."

As Lucas explained the origin story of his spot, he looked up and around the open space. Riley stared at him while he talked, and in that moment she could tell he was vulnerable. She's never seen him like that before, and she thought it was pretty amazing that he was sharing his special spot with her.

Lucas realized he was talking too much and looked at Riley and sheepishly smiled, "Sorry, this place just means a lot to me."

Riley put a hand on his shoulder, "No, keep going. Does Zay know about this place?"

"He does," Lucas nodded. "But I've never brought him here. He's the only person who knows about my spot, and you're the first person I actually ever shared it with."

"Well, I'm honored," Riley put a hand on her chest and gasped with a smile.

"I thought this would be the perfect place to take you," Lucas continued. "You wanted the stars, right? This is the best place to see them here in Austin."

"It's amazing," Riley said, looking up. "I'm not sure how else to describe this, because it's just perfect. I really wish New York had skies like this. All New York has are lots of tall buildings and ambient light."

"Ambient light isn't always a bad thing," Lucas shrugged. "Ambient light is a beauty on its own. But you're right, this doesn't compare to the skies up in New York."

Riley gripped the back of her neck. Her neck was starting to hurt because she couldn't keep herself from looking up at the sky that she had dreamt about so often. She decided to lie down to make it easier for her. Lucas remained seated upright with his legs crossed.

"So how often do you come here?" Riley questioned, both her hands resting behind her head. "If I were you, I'd come here every night. I'd probably just pitch a tent and live here."

Lucas laughed, happy that she admired his spot. He always feared that if he ever brought someone here, they wouldn't appreciate it as much as he did. That was why he never showed Zay, he didn't think he would understand. But when it came to bringing Riley here, he knew that she would love it even more than he did.

"Well, senior year I came here _a lot_ ," Lucas began. "Senior year was hard for me and if I didn't come here every so often I probably wouldn't have graduated. This place here actually helped me make a lot of important decisions."

"What kind of things did you decide?" Riley inquired, sitting up again. She was interested in where the conversation was going and wanted to see Lucas's face as they talked.

"Well, I realized here that I wanted to become a vet someday," Lucas began. "In senior year when everyone was in the midst of completing college applications, I didn't know what to do with my life. I came here and I thought about my horses running around in this field and I don't know, I just thought that I should do something I love. And I love taking care of my horses, and I thought, hey, I love animals, I should make a career out of that."

"Planning for the future is always a good thing," Riley nodded, "even when it's hard to think about. I thought that high school flew by really fast and I know we're only freshman college students but in a blink of an eye another four years will fly by and then we're off to the real world. I'm really scared about it."

"Yeah," Lucas breathed, "the future really is scary, isn't it?"

"It is," Riley said.

"What are you planning to do after graduation?" Lucas asked. It was a silly question to ask considering their circumstances but Riley was right, they'll be getting their undergraduate degrees sooner than they think.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Riley shrugged. "I might want to get my master's degree."

"Well maybe my spot can help you make a decision," Lucas suggested. "I know it's still years away but like you said, planning for the future is always a good thing."

"I really like school," Riley said. "Maybe I'll end up being a teacher like my father. But I really love psychology and I love helping people. Maybe I'd want to be a therapist or something."

"Therapist sounds about right," Lucas replied. "You're a good listener and you always help your friends."

Riley smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. They continued to talk about their future. It was Riley's first time ever talking about what she wanted to do after graduation. She hadn't given it much thought beforehand and she was too scared to even mention anything about it. But with Lucas, she felt that she could talk to him about anything.

When they found themselves sitting in silence once again staring at the stars, Riley reached into the pocket of the hoodie she was wearing and pulled out a bag of purple jellybeans.

"You brought snacks?" Lucas chuckled when she saw Riley put a jellybean in her mouth.

"I didn't know where we were going," Riley said. "And it's late and I know most food places would be closed so I brought jellybeans in case I got hungry. Jellybeans are my favorite."

"Why are they all purple?" Lucas asked. "Usually people eat assorted jellybeans. Don't tell me you picked out all the purple ones from a bag."

Riley averted his gaze, confirming that in fact, she did pick out all the purple jellybeans from an assorted bag.

"That's adorable," Lucas scrunched his face. Riley rolled her eyes and smacked him.

"Don't make this a habit, Riles," Lucas said, rubbing his arm. It didn't hurt, but he was playing along.

"Don't make it a habit of annoying me," Riley retorted.

"Friends always annoy each other," Lucas pointed out. Riley once again rolled her eyes.

"So tell me more about what you were like growing up," Riley said as she threw a couple of jellybeans in her mouth. She stretched her arm out in front of Lucas and offered him the purple treat. "You want some?"

"Sure," Lucas smiled as he grabbed some jellybeans from the bag. "I'll be honest; my past isn't something I'm too proud of. I'm afraid if I tell you, you'll look at me differently and not see me as the guy you met on the subway."

"The past is the past," Riley waved her hand. "What's important is the person you are now. Yeah, your past helped shape you but don't let your past actions define you. I won't judge, you know me."

"I've been expelled twice," Lucas admitted rather softly. He looked down at his hands as he folded them in his lap.

Riley's eyes grew wide. She wasn't judging him. She just didn't expect such a nice guy like him to have such a dark past. It just didn't add up.

"What happened?" Riley pressed. "I mean; you don't have to tell me if you don't want to—"

"I used to get involved in fights a lot," Lucas continued. "I had anger issues. It was pretty bad. My parents put me in anger management classes. I guess you could say it helped. But it's not like I got angry for nothing. A lot of the time I was just defending Zay—you know how he is, he got on people's nerves a lot and sometimes he irked the wrong people. So it was up to me to get him out of trouble, which in result got me into trouble. I couldn't just stand by and watch my best friend get harassed by guys I know I'm stronger than. My anger was always for a good cause."

If Riley were any other girl, she would've probably gotten scared at the fact that Lucas had anger issues and got into fights. Any other girl probably would've scooted away from him or ran away from him completely. But it was Riley, and she saw the good in people, and she believed that Lucas was far from the Lucas he once was.

"I'm proud of you," Riley said, earning a confused glance from Lucas.

"Why?"

"Because I'm proud of the person you've become," Riley explained. "From what I can tell, you're not that Lucas anymore and I don't think you left a single trace of the old you."

"I guess you could say New York changed me even more," Lucas shrugged with a smile.

* * *

They talked for hours, but to them it felt like it had just only been one. They confessed things to each other that neither Zay or Maya knew. It was a really special moment for the two of them, being able to spill their heart out to each other. It was surreal, they never thought they'd ever talk about the things they talked about. But being in each other's presence, they knew they were in a safe place. They finally decided to head back to Lucas's house at around three in the morning. Had they really been talking for that long?

On the way back, Riley was fast asleep once again. Lucas could barely keep his eyes open and on the road because he was so tired. He changed the radio station to a station that played music that would more likely keep him awake. He also pinched himself every few minutes for good measure.

"Riley," Lucas said softly. He had just parked in the driveway and removed the keys from the engine. When he noticed Riley wasn't responding, he put a hand on hers. "Wake up, we're home."

Impatient for her to wake, Lucas took matters into his own hands—literally. He got out of his truck and walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. He carefully lifted Riley bridal style and kicked the door closed with his foot. He made his way into the house, watching his step to make sure he wasn't in danger of tripping. Once inside, he was extra careful not to bump into anything or make any noise. He knew his family would kill him if he accidentally woke them up. The Friars liked their sleep.

When Lucas finally made it up the stairs and into the guest room, he cautiously placed Riley on the bed. Once she was out of his arms, her eyes fluttered open.

"Lucas?" she said with a sleepy voice.

"Sh," Lucas said. "You fell asleep on the way home and I tried waking you up when we got here—"

In the midst of him trying to explain the situation, Riley closed her eyes once again and turned on her side. Lucas sighed and smiled at how peaceful she looked when she slept.

"Goodnight, Riles," Lucas said to a sleeping Riley as he turned off the lights and left the room. He proceeded to walk to his room, running his hand through his hair several times.

Once Lucas tucked himself into bed, he stared at the ceiling, hoping to fall asleep quickly, but his thoughts got the best of him. All he could think of was how beautiful Riley looked under the moon and the stars wearing his hoodie, and how entranced she was by the stars. He closed his eyes to see if it would help stop his thoughts. He then felt something in the pit of his stomach and came to a sudden realization as to what the sensation was. It was a sensation he hadn't experienced in a while and hadn't expected. He opened his eyes again and they grew wide.

"I think I like Riley," Lucas mumbled to himself.

* * *

 **Finally! I feel like it took _way_ too long for Lucas to realize his feelings for Riley. But then again, she still doesn't like him yet. Or, she doesn't know that she does. **

**Also, fun fact! I originally was supposed to write this fic for NaNoWriMo (I'm not creative enough to create an original story so I was going to settle for fanfiction) but then realized that November's a busy month in terms of school.**

 **Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought about this chapter!**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**It's only been four days since I last updated but it felt like forever! I'm not too happy with this chapter just because nothing eventful happens considering what happened last chapter, but I threw in a little something for the Joshaya fans out there. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Riley woke up at a decent time considering how late she had stayed up with Lucas the previous night. She was flying back to Texas today, leaving Lucas and Zay behind for another two days. She wanted to extend her stay, but the only way her parents agreed to her going to Texas for Thanksgiving was for her to be back before the Thanksgiving weekend ended so they could still have their Thanksgiving dinner with Riley present.

She wasn't sure how she ended up in the guest room, because the last thing she remembered last night was falling asleep in Lucas's pick-up truck on the way back. Riley got up and made the bed before she looked in the mirror. She was still wearing Lucas's hoodie. She took it off and carefully folded it and placed it on the bed to return to Lucas later. She then took a quick shower and got dressed for the day.

Lucas knocked on the door to the guest room, and Riley let him in. Riley was doing some last minute packing. She couldn't seem to fit her things in the only luggage she brought, but she somehow made it work.

"I'm surprised you're awake," Riley commented, zipping up her luggage and setting it upright.

"You too," Lucas said with a yawn. He sat down on the bed, grabbing his folded hoodie. "You knocked out in the truck. I tried waking you up but you sleep like a rock. I had to carry you all the way up here."

Riley laughed, "Yeah, I should've told you about my sleep habits. Thanks, though. Hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."

"You know me, strong as a horse," Lucas shrugged.

"Yeah, okay," Riley snickered.

"Why are you all packed up?" Lucas asked, gesturing to her luggage.

"My flight home is today," Riley reminded him.

"Oh, right," Lucas said, placing a hand on his forehead. "I forgot. I keep thinking you're flying back with me and Zay. What time are we leaving?"

" _We_?"

"Yeah, you didn't think I was going to let you take a cab to the airport, did you?" Lucas said with a hand to his chest, playfully offended.

"I just don't want to be a bother," Riley said quietly. "With everything your family's done for me the past few days, I didn't want to ask for a ride."

"Nonsense," Lucas waved her off. "I'll drive you."

"Are you sure?" Riley asked. "Don't you have plans with Zay?"

"I do," Lucas confirmed. "I'm having dinner at his place, that's all. It's a tradition kind of thing. Every year our parents plan the dinner so that we could both have Thanksgiving dinner with each other's families. I don't know, he and I have been best friends for so long we're practically family."

"That's sweet," Riley gushed. "What about Vanessa?"

"Oh, we do it with her too," Lucas nodded. "Dinner tomorrow is at her place."

"I really like Vanessa," Riley said. "She's super nice. I wish I could've spent more time with her."

"Hey, maybe next time she's in New York visiting Zay we should all do something," Lucas suggested.

"That'd be fun," Riley smiled. "You know you three reminded me of these people I know."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm," Riley nodded. "I swear you, Vanessa, and Zay are exactly like me, Maya and Farkle. Well, not _exactly_ , but close enough. The dynamic's the same."

"I think that's why you were so comfortable around us and Vanessa," Lucas mused. "As lovely as she is she doesn't usually get along too well with people she just met. It takes her a while to warm up to someone. So if she hit it off with you right away, then you really must be something."

"I like to think I'm a likeable person," Riley smiled and squinted her eyes.

"You're cute," Lucas chuckled. He immediately got tense when he realized what he said. His palms got sweaty and tried to wipe them on his legs. His heartbeat sped up. He didn't mean to call her cute, even if it was true. She was cute. But Lucas decided he wasn't going to act on his newfound feelings because he knew it would screw up their friendship. And their friendship was so important to him. He stood up and silently let out a sigh of relief when he noticed that Riley didn't react to what he said. "Let's go get something to eat, I'm starving. Then I'll drop you off at the airport."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to park and help you inside?" Lucas offered as he pulled up into the drop-off area at the airport.

"Lucas, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," Riley said with a smile. "And airport parking isn't cheap. You'd only be inside for a couple of minutes. Check-in and security should be quick. No need to worry about me."

"I didn't say you weren't a big girl," Lucas laughed. "But I guess you're right."

They got out of Lucas's pick-up truck and Lucas unloaded Riley's suitcase. He so badly wanted to escort her so he could spend at least fifteen more minutes with her. But he knew if he insisted, it would make him look suspicious. And he didn't need Riley thinking that he was acting weird.

"Thanks again for inviting me here," Riley beamed. "I had lots of fun. Texas definitely isn't New York."

"No problem, Riles," Lucas smiled back. "You're welcome here any time. Wish you could've stayed longer so I could've showed you some more cool places. You sure you need to go home now?"

"I would've loved to stay," Riley admitted. "But I made a deal with my parents and it was the only way to get me here."

"Fair enough, you spent Thanksgiving with my family," Lucas recapped. "It's only right that you make it up to yours."

"Thanks for understanding," Riley gave Lucas a quick hug. "See you back in New York?"

"Of course," Lucas replied.

Riley grabbed her luggage and made her way to the airport's entrance. As she walked away she turned back to look at Lucas, who was leaning against his truck, and waved. Frowning once she was inside, Lucas wondered how he was going to survive not seeing her until he got back to New York.

* * *

Riley waited outside in the pick-up area once she returned back to New York City. She was attentive to the passing cars, hoping her ride would come for her soon. Within five minutes, a familiar vehicle pulled up in front of her.

Maya and Josh stepped out of the car and walked towards Riley.

"Peaches, you're back!" Maya greeted, pulling Riley into a bear hug. "That was the worst three days of my life. Please don't leave me alone again!" Maya caressed Riley's head, earning a chuckle from the brunette.

"I would just like to point out that you spent the last three days with me," Josh chimed in, pointing at himself.

Maya released Riley from her grasp and tilted her head and added, "Okay, maybe not the _worst_ three days, but still."

"You guys are adorable," Riley scrunched her face as she gave her uncle Josh a hug.

Josh loaded Riley's luggage into the car as Riley and Maya climbed in. Riley and Maya sat in the back so they could chat about Riley's trip.

"I'll talk more about the trip over dinner," Riley said. "What did you guys do while I was gone?"

"Well, something happened…" Maya began. Before she could continue she heard Josh clear her throat. She turned to the front of the vehicle and saw that he was looking at her through the rear-view mirror. Maya turned back to Riley and waved it off, "We just went to the movies. And he took me to MoMa. Can you believe I've never been there? I've only ever been to the Met."

"Sounds like you guys had an eventful few days," Riley smiled. She thought that Maya and her Uncle Josh were perfect for each other. It was only a matter of time before they made things official.

"Yeah," Josh agreed. "And we went Black Friday shopping this morning. It was crazy, but I can only imagine how ugly it is now."

"Ooh, what'd you guys buy?" Riley inquired.

"I started my Christmas shopping," Maya said.

"Did you buy my present?" Riley nudged the blonde.

"Maybe, maybe not," Maya looked out the window, pretending to doze off. She knew Riley would have a pout on her face by now and she was right. She looked at her best friend again. "You know I'm going to Ireland for the holidays."

"I know," Riley nodded with a frown. Ever since they met, Maya always spent Christmas at the Matthews'.

"So maybe I'll get you something there," Maya winked.

"I swear to god, Maya, if you get me potatoes or Irish soap—"

"Hush, honey," Maya put a finger on Riley's lips.

* * *

Thanksgiving dinner was already set on the table when Riley, Maya, and Josh entered the Matthews apartment. Waiting inside were Cory, Topanga, Auggie, Shawn, and Katy.

"Riley, you're back!" Topanga immediately pulled her daughter in for a hug when she walked through the door.

"Hi, Mom," Riley said, kissing Topanga's cheek.

"We missed you," Cory said, wrapping his arms around his daughter as well. "Thanksgiving wasn't the same."

"Well, I'm here now," Riley smiled. "Thanks for letting me go to Texas. I had fun."

"How was it?" Auggie asked.

Riley walked over to her little brother and ruffled his curly hair he clearly inherited from Cory. She couldn't believe how fast Auggie was growing. She had only seen him a couple of weeks ago but he was already inches taller than last time.

"It was amazing," Riley beamed. "I got to ride a horse!"

"Did you fall off that horse?" Shawn chimed in. Riley turned to greet him with a hug.

"No, Uncle Shawn," Riley said. She waved her hand, "I got past my klutzy phase."

"Riley, your father hasn't even gotten over his klutzy phase," Shawn pointed out, gesturing to Cory, who had tripped over his own feet as he walked to the dinner table.

"But that's him," Riley scoffed.

"Remember, you're Cory with Topanga's hair," Shawn said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Shawn turned to Josh, "And you're basically Cory and Eric combined."

"He is _not_ as goofy," Maya protested.

"And Maya is Shawn," Katy chimed in with a chuckle. She got up from her place on the couch and hugged Riley. "Glad you had fun, sweetie. But next time take Maya with you, she spent too much time with Josh."

"Hey!" Maya said, frowning. "You said you like Josh."

"I do," Katy nodded. "It's just you're growing up so fast! I want you to stay eighteen forever."

"Then you and Shawn should have a kid," Maya suggested, to which Cory and Topanga agreed.

"We're both too busy to be raising a newborn," Katy said.

"Raising you is already tough," Shawn laughed.

"Can we eat now?" Auggie tugged on Topanga's arm. "I thought we were going to eat as soon as Riley got home!"

"Yes, honey," Topanga said. "Time for dinner everyone!"

Everyone crowded the dinner table and extra seats were put out to accommodate the size of the group. Topanga and Katy had been cooking all day and they hoped that everyone enjoyed the meal they prepared. But before they could dig in, they went around the table, as per tradition, to share what they were thankful for.

Most of them would say the usual, they were thankful for friends and family and the opportunities they were given that year. Once it was Josh's turn to say the things he was thankful for, he stood up at his seat. Everyone around the table, except for Maya, was confused as to why Josh stood up because they usually just stayed seated when they were doing this activity.

"I am thankful for my family, of course," Josh said. He held Maya's hand, "And this year, I am also thankful for my girlfriend."

No one was really too surprised by this announcement because Josh and Maya have had a thing for a while now. They just decided not to put a label on their relationship until they were both ready and were on the same page. Looks like they were both finally ready to be in a committed relationship.

"Aw, I'm so happy for you guys!" Riley gushed. As happy as everyone was, no one was as excited as Riley.

"Thanks, niece," Josh smiled as he sat back down.

"Yeah, thanks, Peaches," Maya squeezed Josh's hand. "We're very happy together. Maybe you should find yourself a boyfriend, too."

Riley shook her head, "Pact, remember?"

"Pact?" Topanga questioned. "What pact?"

"Yeah," Riley turned to her mother, "Lucas and I made a pact not to date for the school year. So we can focus on school and stuff."

Topanga raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Huh."

"I know what you're thinking," Riley said. It was directed to everyone at the table, who gave each other knowing looks. They were all well aware of Lucas and the role he played in the brunette's life. "We're _just_ friends."

"Believe me, I know the story," Cory chuckled.

* * *

 **Just a heads up, for the next couple of weeks the updates may not be as consistent as I'd like them to be. I'll still try to update frequently, but December's coming up and so my main priority will be finishing my assignments and starting to study for exams. I'll try to post the next chapter by the end of the week. See you soon!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Please don't hate me for this chapter. Lucas is just very stubborn.**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Lucas and Zay decided to pay a visit to their former high school. The school had a nice track and field and the boys always found themselves going back there to sneak in a quick workout. With a final Thanksgiving dinner at Vanessa's house that evening, Lucas and Zay decided to get a head start on exercising to shed the couple of pounds they know they gained that weekend.

Whenever the two would work out together, they were very much focused on the task at hand. But Zay noticed Lucas wasn't totally into it. When they were running laps around the track, Zay observed that Lucas wasn't giving it a hundred percent like usual.

"Hey, man, you okay?" Zay nudged Lucas as they panted to catch their breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lucas replied in between breaths. "I love running laps."

"That's not what I meant," Zay shook his head. He let himself fall over into the grass. Lucas followed.

"Then what do you mean, Zay?" Lucas questioned then chugged his water bottle.

"I'm just saying you look like something's on your mind," Zay answered.

Lucas hesitated to answer and tried to hold in a smile.

"Must be something good if you're hiding a smile from me," Zay raised an eyebrow. "Dude, just let that smile out already! You look constipated."

" _Fine_ ," Lucas sighed, giving in. He smiled. "Something happened between me and Riley."

"Excuse me, _what_?" Zay couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up and pumped his fist in the air. "I knew you liked her!"

"No, no!" Lucas frantically shook his head, pulling Zay back to the grass. He didn't want Zay knowing about his feelings for Riley just yet, especially since he didn't fully understand them himself. He lied, "I don't have feelings for her. It wasn't like that at all."

"So then what happened?" Zay pressed.

"I took her out to my spot," Lucas finally replied. "I drove her there in my pick-up truck and we just sat in the back of it and stared at the stars. We watched the sky and talked for a couple of hours."

"How adorable," Zay gushed.

"It was," Lucas nodded. "I feel like it was a turning point in our friendship. We talked about important things in life. I told her things I've never told anyone before, even you."

Zay's eyes suddenly lit up, "Oh, really? Things you've never told me?"

Lucas nodded.

"Well, then," Zay pursed his lips. "She must be something special for her to be able to get those things out of you."

"There's something about her," Lucas agreed. "But I just don't know what it is."

"Maybe you're starting to see her in a different light?" Zay suggested with a hopeful voice.

"No, that's not it," Lucas shook his head. "I just feel like she's someone I want to keep around in my life for a really long time."

Zay smirked at his best friend.

"Oh, no, not like that!" Lucas palmed his face. "The friendship Riley and I have, it's something special. It's not like the friendship I have with you or Vanessa. It's different. A good different."

"Are you sure it's just a friendship thing?" Zay pressed.

Lucas nodded.

"Well, okay then," Zay replied.

Silence fell between the friends. Zay looked around the field before speaking up again.

"How's your pact going, bud?" Zay clapped a hand on Lucas's shoulder, tightening his grip just a little.

"It's going strong," Lucas confirmed.

"Oh, good, good," Zay replied slowly, nodding his head, earning a confused look from Lucas.

As Zay took off to run more laps, Lucas remained seated on the field and started to think about the conversation he just had with Zay. He was sure that it was just a friendship thing with Riley. A friendship thing that involved one-sided feelings. Lucas frowned. His feelings were getting the best of him. He wasn't even sure of his feelings. He just knew that he felt differently towards Riley than he did a couple of weeks ago when he was comforting her after her breakup with Charlie. Did he really like her?

Lucas shook his head. His feelings probably didn't mean anything. But the thought of her made him weak and made his heart beat faster than usual. Oh, these were romantic feelings, alright. Then he remembered the pact he initiated. It was a surefire sign that he wasn't supposed to have these feelings for her.

With the couple of days apart from Riley, Lucas found his feelings for her grow stronger. He knew it would be wrong to pursue, with the pact that was in place. He felt stupid about it. He made the pact in the first place, and yet he falls for her? The odds were definitely not in his favor. But still, he couldn't help but to think about her. He knew he had to stop these feelings before he couldn't control them anymore. So Lucas decided he was going to avoid her for a while when he returned to New York. It was a matter of time before his feelings would just eventually fade away.

Once school was back in session following the Thanksgiving weekend, Lucas ignored Riley's texts. He even attended a different lecture section than usual just so he could avoid her. He was so focused on getting rid of these unwanted feelings that it didn't once cross his mind that him avoiding her would have any kind of effect on her. Boy, was he wrong.

* * *

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with me," Maya said when she was having dinner with Riley at a nearby Mexican restaurant. The best friends usually cooked their own meals to save on expenses, but every once in a while they go out to treat themselves.

"I don't see how that's a bad thing, Peaches," Riley shrugged as she took a bite out of her large burrito.

"It's not," Maya shook her head, putting a piece of her quesadilla in her mouth. "I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying I've noticed you haven't been hanging out with Lucas. I haven't seen him around lately."

Riley's face dropped. She didn't think Maya would notice.

"I haven't talked to him or seen him since he dropped me off at the airport back in Austin," Riley confessed. She hesitated to tell her, but she knew if she didn't, Maya always had a way of getting it out of her. That's why the two could never keep secrets from each other. "It's been like two weeks."

"Do you not see him in class?" Maya asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's the thing, he hasn't been showing up to class," Riley replied. "I've texted and called but he won't answer or return my calls. I'm starting to get worried. Should I check up on him?"

"I know he's your best friend, but I don't think you have the time to check up on him," Maya said honestly. "Exams are coming up and I know how well you wanna do on those. Just because you haven't been studying with him doesn't mean you can't study. He's probably just busy."

"Thanks, Maya," Riley smiled. "You're probably right. I gotta focus on school."

"Well, I mean, you can focus on school _after_ tomorrow," Maya corrected. "It's your birthday tomorrow and you know Farkle and I are taking you out."

* * *

Maya returned to Greenwich Hall after dinner. Riley opted to head to the library to sneak in some studying so when she returned back to the dorm she could just go straight to sleep.

Maya noticed Zay waiting for the elevator in the lobby of the building. Recognizing him as Lucas's friend, she approached him.

"Hey," Maya tapped on his shoulder. "Zay, right?"

Zay nodded, "Maya?"

The blonde nodded.

"How are you?" Maya smiled. "Haven't seen you since the party in your dorm."

"Yeah, that was quite a while ago," Zay replied. "I'm doing well, and yourself?"

"I could be better," Maya shrugged. "School has just been taking a toll on me. I have a lot of paintings I'm working on for assignments."

"Well, I'm sure they're lovely," Zay said with a smile. "How's Lucas?"

"Lucas?" Maya repeated, furrowing her brows. "Why are you asking me about Lucas? Isn't he _your_ roommate and best friend?"

The elevator came and the two went in. They pressed their respective floor numbers.

"Yeah," Zay chuckled, realizing how stupid he sounded. "I was just asking because I haven't seen him too much lately. Isn't he always in your dorm studying with Riley?

"No, actually," Maya denied. She shook her head. "Riley said she hasn't seen him since Texas."

"Huh. Weird," Zay mumbled.

"Yeah, she's kinda worried," Maya said. She shrugged. "But she's always worried about everyone."

"Riley's a sweet girl," Zay commented.

"She is, isn't she?" Maya replied. The elevator reached Maya's floor. Before she stepped out, she said, "Well, I'll see ya around."

"Yeah, see ya," Zay answered. The elevator doors closed and resumed its ascend to Zay's floor.

* * *

 **I forgot to mention this last chapter, but I recently posted a new Rucas oneshot called Redemption. If you haven't already, I'd love it if you'd give it a read while you wait for the next chapter! Thanks again for all your reviews, they make my day.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**So last chapter we ended off with Zay returning to his dorm after having an interesting talk with Maya. Let's see what happens next...**

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Zay thought about what Maya said. Up until now, he thought that Lucas and Riley had still been hanging out. Lucas was always out, and Zay just assumed he was with Riley. But now that he thought about it, he noticed Lucas hadn't been talking to him about her anymore.

When Zay unlocked the door to his dorm and walked in, he found Lucas in the living room playing video games. It was a very rare sight to see. Lucas never played video games on his own unless he had free time, but Zay knew he had no free time to be doing this because of approaching exams. Yeah, Zay thought something was up alright.

"Watcha doin', bud?" Zay said as he plopped down on the couch beside Lucas. Zay removed his backpack from his back and placed it on the ground beside him.

"Playing video games," Lucas replied with an annoyed tone. "Don't be stupid."

Zay puts his hands up in front of him in defense, even though Lucas didn't take his eyes off the screen. He sat there and watched his best friend aggressively press buttons on the controller. Lucas could tell that Zay wanted something without even having to look at him. Lucas rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed grunt.

"What do you want, Zay?" Lucas asked, still not bothering to peel his eyes off the TV.

"Nothing, nothing," Zay replied nonchalantly. He looked around the room before his eyes stopped at Lucas. "Just… how's Riley?"

Lucas gulped. Zay noticed.

"It's been quite a while since I last saw her," Zay continued, clasping his hands together in an attempt to grab Lucas's attention. "Just wanted to know how's she doing. I haven't seen her around. I kinda miss her."

"She's doing great," Lucas snapped. "We've been studying for exams at the library."

Zay cocked an eyebrow, knowing Lucas was lying.

"Bullshit, Lucas!" Zay got up and grabbed the TV remote then abruptly shut it off, finally earning a reaction from his roommate.

"Hey! I almost beat that level!" Lucas huffed, getting up as well.

"Sit down," Zay ordered as he pushed Lucas back onto the couch.

"What was that for?!" Lucas threw his arms in the air, confused by what was happening.

"You lied to me, man," Zay shook his head disapprovingly.

"About what?" Lucas slid back in his seat.

"Riley!" Zay replied. "I _just_ ran into Maya in the lobby. I asked how you were doing because I barely see you and assumed that you were with Riley in her dorm a lot. But what's funny is that Maya said that Riley told her she hasn't seen you since Texas. What's going on, Luke?"

"What the hell," Lucas muttered.

"How long did you think you could keep this from me?" Zay asked.

"I don't know, forever?" Lucas shrugged.

"So are you going to tell me why you're avoiding our little ball of sunshine?" Zay asked with his arms folded across his chest.

"Why do you care, Zay?" Lucas said. As far as he knew, Riley was his friend, not Zay's.

"Because Riley is a nice girl," Zay replied. "You and I both know that. From what Maya told me, Riley's worried about you. I don't want you hurting her, Luke."

"She's worried?"

Zay could hear the guilt in Lucas's voice.

"Yeah, man," Zay said, returning to his spot beside Lucas.

"I just needed some time apart from her," Lucas sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I didn't realize it would affect her that much."

"Why did you need time apart? You guys were attached at the hip, you enjoy each other's company," Zay reminded him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I think…" Lucas's voice trailed off. He continued with a soft voice, "I think I enjoy her company a little too much."

"Interesting!" Zay smirked, resting his chin in his hands. "What do you mean by that?"

"I think I have feelings for her," Lucas finally admitted.

"It's about time!" Zay reacted. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for this confession?"

"How long have you known?!" Lucas asked.

"I knew before you did," Zay laughed. "I told you it was just a matter of time before something like this happened."

"Shut up, man," Lucas lifted his head and lightly shoved his best friend. "I didn't think I would fall for her."

"So that's why you were avoiding her?" Zay assumed.

Lucas nodded, "Yeah. I didn't know what to do with these feelings. I figured all we're ever going to be is friends so I needed some time apart to see if my feelings would go away."

"Did they?"

"No," Lucas looked down. "I guess it's just something I have to deal with. I think avoiding her made me like her even more."

"Well, distance does make the heart grow fonder," Zay nodded to himself, earning an unamused look from Lucas. "So are you going to ask her out?"

"No, no, no, no, no," Lucas shook his head with wide eyes. " _Way_ too risky. I just want things to go back to normal. I know I can't avoid her forever. Honestly, I was just waiting until someone told me what to do."

"Why didn't you come to me then?" Zay pretended to be offended.

"Because you always tease me about her. And I thought I could control my feelings," Lucas said.

"Well now that I know what I know, I won't tease you anymore," Zay promised. "I know how confusing feelings can be. What's your next step?"

"Talk to her, I guess," Lucas said. "Her birthday's tomorrow, I'll make it up to her."

* * *

"Happy birthday, Riles!" Maya announced as she walked into Riley's room. Riley groaned under the covers.

"Wake up," Maya huffed, standing at the foot of the birthday girl's bed. Riley's groans continued and was lengthier than the first.

"Happy birthday!" Farkle greeted as he walked into the room with his arms in the air. He frowned and dropped his arms to his side when he saw Riley still sleeping and Maya trying to wake her up. "She's not up yet?"

"No," Maya pouted. She pulled the blanket off of the sleeping brunette. "She's in a mood."

"And why is that? She's never in a mood!" Farkle pointed out. "She's the reason the sun rises in the morning!"

"She's upset Lucas hasn't been talking to her for the longest time," Maya explained with a sigh.

"Oh, her boyfriend?" Farkle smirked. He knew that would get a rise out of Riley. Out of everyone who knew about Riley and Lucas, Farkle was the only one who believed the platonic nature of their relationship, but he had to get her up somehow.

Riley quickly sat up in her bed and protested, "He is _not_ my boyfriend!"

"Then why are you upset about it, Riley?" Farkle asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"If you or Maya were to ignore me, I'd be pissed too," Riley pointed out. And it was true.

"Well, you can't be pissed," Maya said, grasping Riley's arm and dragged her out of bed. "It's your birthday and we're going out!"

"Now?" Riley groaned. "I have class! It's the last day!"

"Fine! We'll go out tonight," Maya said. "Now get your ass up, Farkle and I made you breakfast."

"You did?" Riley eyes lit up. She couldn't resist breakfast. It was her most favorite meal of the day.

"Yeah!" Farkle said. "We've gotten better at cooking, I promise."

"I'll be the judge of that," Riley huffed and left her room.

Maya and Farkle exchanged looks.

"Hey, at least we got her out of bed," Farkle shrugged.

The two followed Riley to the kitchen. Riley was already sitting at the kitchen table, waiting patiently for her meal. Farkle sat beside her while Maya prepared the servings.

"So you haven't talked to Lucas in a while, huh?" Farkle asked.

Riley frowned, "No. I miss talking to him."

"I thought he was a nice guy," Farkle huffed. "I guess not."

"But he is!" Riley argued.

"Then why'd he just drop you like that?" Farkle said. "Friends don't do that."

"I know," Riley replied. "He probably has his reasons."

"Maybe it's just God's way of telling you that you only need one best guy friend in your life, and it's me," Farkle joked with a smile, earning a smile from Riley as well. "There's that smile of yours. Happy birthday, Riles."

"Thanks, Farkle," Riley said. She gripped onto his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. In return, Farkle wrapped his arm around her and gave her a light squeeze.

* * *

Lucas entered the lecture hall where his psychology class took place. He searched to see where Riley was sitting, and as expected, she sat where they usually did. His heart started beating faster and faster as he approached her. She had her head down, eyes glued to her phone. She didn't seem to notice when he sat down in the seat beside her.

"Happy birthday, best friend," Lucas smiled sheepishly, tapping her on the shoulder.

Riley quickly looked up to see who it was, and scoffed when she noticed it was Lucas. It was an expected reaction from her due to their situation.

"Are you mad at me?" Lucas asked, trying to make eye contact with her, but she didn't want to look at him. Instead, she kept her gaze at the front of the lecture hall. He took her silence as a yes. "You _are_ mad at me."

"What do you expect, Lucas?" Riley finally turned to look at him. She had a serious expression on her face. "I am _livid_."

"Oh, right," Lucas frowned. "That's fair. Let me explain?"

"You better," Riley demanded.

"I just had a lot going on," Lucas replied. He shook his head, "Couldn't handle it."

"And that makes it okay to skip class?" Riley raised her eyebrow. "I know you care about your education just as much as I do."

"And I do care about my education," Lucas nodded, "I attended the other lecture section. It was at a more convenient time for me with what was going on."

"You know you can tell me anything right?" Riley asked. She was angry that Lucas had been ignoring her, but now she was angry that he didn't come to her with what was going on. She thought they could talk about anything.

"Yeah," Lucas replied softly. "But it was something that I didn't want to talk about. Zay didn't even realize something was going on."

Riley was a very forgiving person, and with Lucas's explanation, she understood why he did what he did. She didn't appreciate the fact that he left her hanging for a couple of weeks, but she'd learn to forget. After all, their friendship was stronger than that.

"I wish you could've at least texted me telling me you were gonna go off the grid for a while," Riley sighed. "You know how much I care about my friends. I got worried."

Lucas smiled, putting a hand on her forearm. "Sorry for worrying you. I should've answered you."

"That's okay," Riley said, finally making eye contact with him.

"So how is the birthday girl doing?" Lucas asked.

"I'm doing better now that you're talking to me," Riley replied truthfully.

"I'm sorry again," Lucas said. "Can I make it up to you?"

"Sure," Riley shrugged. "If you want."

"Mind if I take out the birthday girl for lunch?" Lucas offered.

"Okay," Riley beamed. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking sushi, maybe?" he suggested.

"Yay," Riley grinned. The smile reached her eyes.

* * *

"I got you something," Lucas said sheepishly. They were halfway through their meal at a local sushi restaurant when he decided to give her a present.

"You didn't have to," Riley replied. Riley never liked receiving gifts. She always preferred to give them instead. She always made sure to let her friends and family know on special occasions that they didn't have to get her a gift. But they never listened to her.

"I know," Lucas nodded. He pulled out a red velvet ring box from the inside pocket of his denim jacket. He placed it on the table, right in front of Riley. Her eyes immediately grew wide. Ring boxes always contained rings. Had Lucas gotten her a ring? She figured that if it were a ring that it wouldn't be weird, considering she and Maya had friendship rings. After all, she and Lucas were really good friends.

"Lucas," Riley said softly. She stared at the box, feeling intimidated. There was no way that this was some kind of romantic gesture. They didn't even like each other!

Lucas softly chuckled to himself, "It's not what you think."

Riley gave him a suspicious look.

"Go ahead, open it," Lucas encouraged. He pushed the box closer to her.

Riley hesitated to reach for the box, but she took it in her hands. She carefully opened it and was relieved when she saw that it wasn't a piece of jewelry. It was a purple jellybean.

"A jellybean?" Riley examined the candy in the box. She focused her gaze on Lucas and innocently asked, "What does it mean?"

"Remember that night we went stargazing in Texas?" Lucas began. Riley nodded. "And when we were having our talk you pulled out a bag of jellybeans to snack on? And you shared with me?"

Riley nodded, "I remember that night, but I don't see where—"

"Let me finish," Lucas raised his palm, interrupting the confused brunette. "I know it sounds stupid, but I felt kind of honored that you offered to share the jellybeans with me. Kids, they don't like sharing, especially when it comes to candy."

"Hey, are you calling me childish?" Riley gasped and scrunched her face.

"No, no," Lucas assured her, chuckling. "I just felt that you let your guard down at that moment."

Riley opened her mouth to disagree, but Lucas continued, "You can't tell me that you don't have walls built around you, Riley. You're very optimistic and see the good in everyone but I know that you don't just let anyone in. And even though from the very start we hit it off and became really good friends, I knew it would take some time for us to really get to know each other. Still, it was amazing how well we knew each other in a short amount of time.

"But yeah, you opened up to me that night and told me things you said only Maya knew. Now I knew for a while that you trusted me, but after you told me more things about you, I knew I was gaining more and more of your trust. And when I talked about my past and my future, you were so interested in what I had to say. And you were so supportive. You're a great listener. Whenever I talk to Zay about stuff like that he always dozes off or he never takes me seriously. That conversation we had that night, it was one I knew I'd remember forever. I appreciate that you're always there for me and I'm glad we're friends and that we can have talks like those. And I'm sorry for not talking to you these past two weeks."

"Hey, you had walls built around you too," Riley pointed out. "With the way you talked about your past I knew it was something you didn't talk about often."

"I guess we just brought out our true selves that night," Lucas replied. "I feel like that was when we really got to know each other. And that says a lot considering we knew each other pretty well to begin with."

"So what you're saying is, this jellybean here is symbolic of our friendship?" Riley concluded, holding up the open box.

"Yeah, I guess it kind of is," Lucas smiled.

"I love it."

Riley of course couldn't reject gifts that had sentimental value, so she gladly accepted this token from Lucas. She wanted to put it somewhere special, where she knew she wouldn't misplace it. She decided to place it in her drawer with her other accessories, right beside the box she kept her friendship ring in.

* * *

 **So Rucas is talking again... I wonder how well Lucas will be able to hide his feelings. Probably not well. And it's only a matter of time before Riley realizes her feelings. Soon, friends, _soon_. **


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**I've been working on a couple angsty pieces just to get more practice in that genre, and so writing again for this fic was so weird because of the huge difference in mood. But anyway, I enjoy writing happy Riley.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Riley was glad that things were back to normal with Lucas. She was able to enjoy her night out clubbing with Maya and Farkle to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. Riley wanted to ask Lucas to tag along, but she knew that Maya and Farkle wanted it just to be the three of them like old times. Riley insisted that Farkle brought Smackle but he refused, telling the girls that he missed hanging out with just the three of them. Smackle didn't mind, she was very understanding about everything.

The following day Riley and Maya slept in due to their extremely late night. Why did Maya and Farkle think it was a good idea to go clubbing on a Thursday night anyway? Either way, Riley and Maya had already decided beforehand that they weren't going to their Friday classes so that they could sleep in and recover.

The girls woke up at around eleven, and Riley took a quick shower to rid herself of the smell of alcohol that still lingered on her. As Riley threw her hair into a messy bun, she heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Riley called out, running to open the door.

"Hi," Lucas greeted.

"Hey," Riley returned.

"Hi," Lucas repeated with a smile.

Riley moved aside to let Lucas into her dorm and closed the door once he was inside. They walked over to the living room to set up their laptops and text books.

Maya walked out of her room with a towel on her head, as her hair was still wet after her shower. She headed to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As she drank, she leaned against the kitchen table, eyeing Riley and Lucas.

"Huckleberry, I see you're back," Maya finally said. Up until now the room was silent. Riley and Lucas shot their heads up at the sound of Maya's voice, neither of them had noticed her enter the room.

"Oh, hi, Maya," Lucas said, giving her a small wave. "Yeah, I've been busy."

"Too busy to hang out with Riles?" Maya asked a little too loudly. She cocked an eyebrow. "She was pretty upset about it."

"I had some personal things I had to deal with," Lucas said sternly, unfazed by Maya's attitude. He wasn't scared of a five-foot blonde, even if Riley did tell him all about her mischievous ways. "Riley and I talked it out."

"Thought you and Riley were best friends?" Maya continued to interrogate. She made her way across the room and leaned against the wall in front of Riley and Lucas.

"Maya, stop," Riley said with growing eyes.

"What?" Maya turned to the brunette. "I don't want him hurting you, honey."

"He's not," Riley shot back. She thought Maya was acting totally rude. Riley knew that Maya could get out of hand sometimes, but she had never been rude to any of Riley's friends.

"Alright," Maya kissed her teeth. She approached Lucas and bent down to his level, as he was sitting on the couch. "You better not hurt her. And if you do, you won't know what's coming to ya."

Riley palmed her face. She couldn't believe how ridiculous Maya was acting. Sure, she understood that Maya just cared a lot about her well-being, them being best friends since they were seven years old and all, but Riley thought that Maya was getting way out of line. Riley was too embarrassed to say anything, and Lucas silently chuckled to himself. Maya growled in aggravation because she knew Lucas wasn't taking her seriously. Instead of retaliating, Maya just retreated to her room.

Once Maya was out of view, Riley and Lucas burst out laughing. They were sure that Maya could hear them from her room but they didn't care.

"I am _so_ sorry about that," Riley said. "I have no idea where that came from. You know she's not usually like that."

Lucas shrugged, "I get it. She's just looking out for you."

"I don't get why she sees you as a threat," Riley said. "She said she liked you better than Charlie."

"Well there's no comparison there," Lucas said. "Charlie's a douche, remember?"

"True," Riley agreed.

"So how was last night?" Lucas asked.

"It was fun," Riley nodded. "Didn't get too drunk, which was good. It's been too long since Maya, Farkle and I hung out together."

"You didn't end up going to your morning class today, did you?" Lucas inquired.

"Nope," Riley replied. "We got back really late."

"You sure you don't want to go back to sleep?" Lucas said, noticing Riley's squinted eyes and the dark shadows under them. Even when Riley looked tired, he still couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. "We could study together another time."

"No, no. We need all the study time we can get. You're the only person I work well with when it comes to studying," Riley shook her head tiredly and put a hand on Lucas's forearm. Her touch made him flinch, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to suppress his feelings for the brunette if she kept acting so damn adorable.

Lucas tried to get Riley to rest some more, but she insisted she was awake enough to be productive. Lucas shrugged, but in truth he didn't want to leave anyway. He was apart from her for so long that he wanted to be in her presence every chance he got. And that's exactly what happened.

For the weeks leading up to their exams, Riley and Lucas had once again found comfort in their corner at the library. They spent so much time there that some nights they actually fell asleep there. Luckily, during exam season, the library was open 24/7.

* * *

"I am so glad exams are over," Riley announced as she grabbed clothes from her closet and scattered them on her bed. "I can finally breathe again!"

"Same," Lucas replied. He was sitting upright on Riley's bed, watching the brunette fold her clothes. "Can you believe we're done our first semester?"

"No, I really can't," Riley sighed. "We've got like seven more semesters to go."

"Can't wait," Lucas said sarcastically.

Riley walked back over to her closet and grabbed a suitcase.

"What are you doing?" Lucas inquired as Riley opened her suitcase.

"I'm packing," Riley replied in a 'duh' tone.

"Why?" Lucas scratched the back of his neck. "You going away for the holidays?"

"No," Riley shook her head. "Gotta move back home for winter break."

"Oh, right," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Totally forgot about that."

"What about you?" Riley asked. "When's your flight back to Texas? I didn't think you'd wanna hang around here for long."

"And miss my best friend? No way," Lucas waved her off with a nervous smile. He mentally hit himself for saying that. He found himself really conscious about the things he said to Riley lately, but luckily, she was oblivious.

"You're staying in New York?" Riley's eyes lit up.

"My family's going on a cruise for Christmas," Lucas said. "They're gonna be gone for a while. Xander and I can't afford to be gone for that long so we both decided to stay at school for the holidays."

"Oh, what about Zay?" Riley inquired.

"He's going back to Texas," Lucas nodded. "Vanessa's going back with him. I'll be spending my Christmas alone in my dorm watching a marathon of Christmas movies. Elf is my favorite."

"Elf is my favorite too!" Riley hit Lucas in excitement. She referenced the movie, "And smiling. Smiling's my favorite!"

"It's a classic," Lucas agreed. "And I know you love smiling. They don't call you Smiley Riley for nothing."

"Who calls me that?" Riley tilted her head in interest. Never once had she heard anyone call her that, although she wouldn't be mad if people did call her that.

"I would assume everyone," Lucas chuckled.

"Well, since you're not doing anything for Christmas, you should spend it with me and my family," Riley suggested. "I'm sure they'll be glad to have you."

Lucas thought about the offer for a second. Did he really want to spend Christmas with the girl he secretly had a crush on, and her family? Yes, yes he did. The thought of meeting her family scared him, but remembering how well Riley and his family got along, he knew he had nothing to worry about. The only thing he'd have to worry about was not slipping up in regards to his feelings for her.

"Yeah, sure," Lucas nodded with a smile. "I'd like that, thanks."

* * *

Lucas stood in the entrance to the lobby of Riley's apartment with her and her suitcases. After she was done packing she asked him to help her bring her stuff home, to which he happily obliged.

Riley patted her jacket, searching for her house keys, but to no avail. She softly groaned to herself before using the intercom to call her parents.

"It's me," Riley said. "I forgot my keys."

There was no answer from the receiving end, but a sound indicated that the door was unlocked. Riley opened the door for her and Lucas and lugged her suitcases with them. They made their way to the elevator. Once they were outside her door, she was sure to warn him of her parents.

"I know our dorm is really close here," Riley said. "But I haven't seen my parents since Thanksgiving. They're always very happy to see me, especially when it's been a while. So don't be startled if they're a little too enthusiastic and aggressive."

"Hey, that sounds like you," Lucas joked, to which Riley rolled her eyes. But Riley knew he was right.

Riley raised her fist and was about to knock on the door, but before she could, the door opened to reveal her mother.

"Riley!" Topanga greeted her daughter by grabbing her face and kissing both cheeks. It didn't take long for Topanga to notice that Riley wasn't alone. She turned to face Lucas. He was about to introduce himself, but she spoke before he could, "And you must be Lucas! Hi!"

Topanga pulled the young man into a hug. During the hug, Lucas locked eyes with Riley. She mouthed, 'I'm sorry' then proceeded to chuckle to herself.

"Hello, Mrs. Matthews," Lucas smiled at the woman after she released him from the hug.

"Oh, please, call me Topanga. Come in, come in," Topanga ushered the two inside the apartment.

Lucas looked around the room, taking interest in the framed photos of Riley growing up.

"I forgot we still had those out," Riley said when she noticed what grabbed Lucas's attention. She plopped down on the couch, and Lucas immediately followed. "I was so awkward when I was twelve."

"We're all awkward at that age," Lucas pointed out.

"Yeah, but at the time my limbs were too long for my body and I couldn't figure out how to control them," Riley explained. She shook her head when she realized she was starting to ramble, "Just be glad you didn't know me then. I was quite an embarrassment."

Lucas smiled to himself as he made a mental picture of twelve-year-old klutzy Riley. God, she was perfect even then. But Lucas knew he had to stop thinking of her like that. His fantasies were never going to become a reality. He snapped out of his thoughts when her father approached him with a welcoming smile.

"Ah, Lucas Friar," Cory said as he walked towards the couch with Topanga. He offered his hand to the boy, "Nice to finally meet you. I'm Cory."

"Likewise, sir," Lucas replied and shook Cory's hand.

Cory turned to his wife and said, "I like this guy. Very polite."

Topanga nodded in agreement. Lucas sat there and smiled awkwardly at the exchange.

Cory looked at her daughter and gave her a tight squeeze, "I missed you, sweetie!"

"Missed you too, dad," Riley replied.

"Thanks for taking care of our daughter in Texas, by the way," Topanga said. "It was very nice of you to invite her. She had lots of fun."

Lucas turned to Riley. She nodded in confirmation.

"It was my pleasure," Lucas said. "She's welcome anytime. My family loved her."

"I'm a likeable person," Riley shrugged with a sheepish grin. She slid back in her seat, putting her feet up on the coffee table.

"She's a bit of a handful sometimes," Cory chuckled as he shook his head. He nudged Lucas, "I'm surprised she was able to come back in one piece. Especially after riding that horse."

Lucas laughed, "I know."

"Oh!" Riley sat up. "By the way, I invited Lucas over for Christmas, is that okay?"

Cory and Topanga exchanged looks.

"Of course it's okay, honey," Topanga replied. "Lucas, you're welcome here any time."

"Yeah, we'd love to have you here," Cory added. "But if I may ask, why aren't you going back to Texas for the holidays?"

"My family is going on a cruise and I just can't afford to be away for too long," Lucas explained. "Plus, I think they enjoy being away from me and my brother."

"Well, if you get lonely, we have an extra room that you could sleep in if you'd like," Topanga offered.

"Thanks you," Lucas replied. "But that won't be necessary. My parents already paid the fees for me to be staying in residence. I really appreciate the offer, though."

"No problem! I'm looking forward to you joining us for Christmas," Topanga smiled. "Riley's said a lot about you. Most of her life she's only ever had Maya and Farkle. I'm glad she's opening up to more people. And I'm glad you're one of them. You seem like a really nice guy from what she's told us."

Topanga then turned to Cory and Riley, "I really like him."

Riley blushed and Cory gave her a look.

Lucas couldn't help but smile from ear to ear when Topanga said what she said. Maybe he was overthinking it, but was there a possibility that Riley could like him back? Why else would she blush after her mom said she liked him? And what things about him could she have possibly told her parents? He'd never know, because he was never going to ask. He was just going to let this crush run its course, even if it killed him.

* * *

 **So we got to see how Lucas is dealing with his crush on Riley. He seems to acknowledge it a lot but not really act on his feelings. And I feel that ever since they made up, Lucas just acts a bit awkward around her to the point where it's cringeworthy for me to write. Gosh, Friar, just tell her how you feel already! Hope you guys enjoyed, let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update sooner. This was my last week of classes and I had a test today and yesterday. And then exam season is coming up.. Oh, the life of a university student.**

 **So A Christmas Maya is airing tomorrow and I am honestly so pissed that the writers decided to make Lucas go off to Texas without telling Riley. Like, that's so unrealistic. I would assume he told her, I mean, they love talking to each other. And the reaction from LM shippers annoy me to no end, basically disregarding Rucas' entire relationship. But then again, it all goes back to the writers, who made Rucas get together but then never let them act like a couple! And when they do have couple-y scenes, they cut it out. Ugh, I'm so upset. But anyway, enough of my rant. Lack of canon Rucas moments always fuel my fanfic ideas so I guess that's a good thing.**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

It was Christmas Eve at the Matthews' and Auggie was helping Topanga with Christmas dinner while Cory was putting some last minute decorations around the house and on the Christmas tree. Riley was sweeping the floor when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Riley announced as she made her way to the front door. She opened it and frowned when she saw it was her uncle Josh holding some presents. She walked to the couch and sat down.

"Nice to see you too, niece," Josh commented as he walked inside and closed the door behind him. He put the presents under the tree before sitting beside his niece on the couch.

"I am happy," Riley assured him, giving him a hug.

"You're expecting someone else, weren't you?" Josh assumed. Riley nodded. "Well, it's not Maya, since she's out of the country. Who else is joining us? Can't be Mom and Dad, they're visiting Morgan in Seattle."

"I wish grandma and grandpa were coming," Riley said. "Aunt Morgan too. I haven't seen her in years."

Josh thought about it for a minute, "Is it Eric?"

"Nope," Riley shook her head. "He's overseas."

"Then who else is coming over?" Josh furrowed his brows. As if on cue, there was another knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Riley called out once again, rushing to the door. She opened it to reveal Lucas holding a cake.

"Hey," Lucas greeted, offering her the cake. "Wasn't able to get your family gifts so I brought a cake instead. I hope that's okay."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Riley replied with a smile. "My family loves cake, so you're good."

"Phew, that's good to hear," Lucas let out a sigh of relief.

Riley took the cake from him and walked to the kitchen with Lucas in tow.

Josh raised his eyebrow and smirked as he watched the exchange between Riley and the boy he has yet to meet.

Before Lucas could reach Riley in the kitchen, Josh got up and held his hand out towards Lucas to introduce himself, "I'm Josh."

"I'm Lucas," Lucas nodded at him and shook his hand. "So you're Josh, her uncle?"

"Ah, I get it now," Josh said to himself as he sat back down. He said to the green-eyed boy, "Yes, I'm sure you've heard lots about me."

"I have," Lucas nodded. "But honestly all I've heard about you is that you're Riley's young uncle and Maya's kind of boyfriend."

"I _am_ her boyfriend now," Josh corrected.

"Oh, congrats," Lucas commented. Lucas wouldn't admit it, but he felt intimidated by Josh. There was something about Josh that gave off a vibe that he didn't like Lucas. He wasn't sure why, considering they literally _just_ met.

"Lucas, my brother wants to meet you," Riley called from the kitchen. With a sigh of relief, Lucas happily got up and went to the kitchen.

"Hi, Lucas," Topanga greeted with a grin. "Thanks for the cake, by the way."

"Yeah," Lucas said, "I didn't want to show up empty handed."

"So you're Lucas!" Auggie said. "I'm Auggie."

"Nice to meet you Auggie," Lucas returned.

"Yeah," Auggie replied, "I love meeting my sister's friends. Just know this,"—he pointed a finger at him—"there is nothing that can get between me and my sister, okay? Not even Maya. So don't even try stealing her away from me. She only needs one brother, and that's me."

Brother? Lucas was slightly confused at the twelve-year-old's rant, but nodded anyway.

"Anything you say," Lucas confirmed.

"Lucas!" Cory called from the other side of the room. The star on the Christmas tree had fallen and when Cory saw Lucas, he thought he would be helpful putting it back on. Lucas wondered why Cory asked him when Josh was sitting on the couch. Or, at least, he was. "Can you help me with this?"

"Sure thing," Lucas said before walking to the Christmas tree.

When Lucas left, Auggie leaned in to Riley and said, "I like him." He patted her on the back.

Riley squinted her eyes, "Then why scare him?"

"Because he needs to know how things work," Auggie replied. "I need to make sure he's good for you, Riles."

"Good for me?" Riley scrunched her face. She then realized what Auggie was thinking. She shook her head with her eyes wide, "Oh, no, no, Auggie. It's not like that at all."

"Whatever you say," Auggie scoffed as he walked away.

"Huh, Cory's putting him to work," Josh said as he approached Riley and Topanga. He gestured towards the Christmas tree, where Lucas and Cory seemed to be getting along.

Riley tilted her head, "Where'd you go? Weren't you just on the couch like a second ago?"

"Maya called," Josh replied. "She wanted—"

"Maya called?" Riley repeated. "Did she land safely?"

"Yeah, she just got to her hotel," Josh nodded with a smile. He loved the friendship his niece had with Maya. Granted, Maya was Riley's best friend first, but he still liked the fact that he was able to connect with the both of them. "She wanted to know if you were okay."

"Of course I am," Riley replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Josh shrugged, "It's your first Christmas apart, she just wanted to make sure you were coping."

Riley laughed. Even though the two were attached at the hip, they both knew that being apart didn't change their friendship. Riley swiftly glanced at Lucas, who had finished helping her dad and were now having a presumably interesting conversation. Josh noticed his niece's not-so-subtle glimpse.

"Of course you're coping," Josh said. He gestured his head towards Lucas's direction, "because he's here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riley said. Lucas hadn't even been here for half an hour and two of the most important boys in her life were nothing but suspicious.

Josh shook his head, "Forget it, Riley. I'll text Maya to let her know you're fine." He walked back towards the couch as he took his phone out of his pocket to text his girlfriend.

* * *

As everyone waited for dinner, Auggie had gained even more interest in Lucas when Lucas joined him and Josh on the couch as they played video games. They played a zombies game, a game that most adolescent boys seemed to like playing. There was just something about killing zombies around Christmastime that was just so satisfying.

Auggie admitted to the boys that although he played the game a lot, he wasn't any good. It was only a two-player game, and he was playing against Josh. Lucas sat there, watched, and made any necessary comments.

"You know if you switched to ammo with higher power and used that gun, it'd be more effective," Lucas suggested to Auggie. Auggie did as he was told, and was pleasantly surprised with the increase amount of kills he got.

"No helping," Josh said firmly.

"Oh, come on," Auggie said. "Wouldn't it be a more satisfying win if you were playing against someone who knew who he was doing?"

"Fair enough," Josh said. "It was way too easy to beat you anyway."

"Hey!" Auggie grabbed a pillow and threw it at Josh.

"What was that for?!" Josh shrieked, dropping the control on the coffee table.

Lucas laughed at the exchange, "Well, you offended him."

"Shut it," Josh said. He stood up. "You know what? I'm tired of playing for now. Lucas, you can go ahead and teach Auggie everything you know."

Lucas tensed up and looked over at Auggie, who was already looking back at him. They both shrugged as Josh walked away. Lucas picked up the control and resumed the game with Auggie.

"What was that about?" Lucas asked. "Is he usually like that?"

"Uncle Josh? No," Auggie replied.

"Do you think he likes me?" Lucas continued. Although he felt intimidated by Josh, he felt comfortable enough with Auggie that he could voice his concern.

"Yeah," Auggie said. "I think he's just testing you to see if you're good enough for Riley. Either that, or he's just in a mood because Maya's out of the country."

Lucas furrowed his brows and his gaze was still focused on the screen in front of them. What did Auggie mean by 'good enough for Riley'? Was that implying something? He wanted to ask Auggie what he meant, but when he turned to look at Auggie, he was completely engulfed in the game. Lucas shrugged it off.

* * *

Josh went to sit with Riley in the living room's bay window.

"I don't like him at all," Josh declared. Riley, who was looking down at her phone, shot up to look at her uncle.

"What?" Riley asked.

"Lucas," Josh said. He shook his head. "I don't like him."

"What, why?" Riley seemed almost offended.

"No guy your age these days is _that_ nice of a guy," Josh said. He watched him interact with Cory and Topanga earlier. Cory and Topanga seemed to be entranced by Lucas. They looked like they were really getting along. "Believe me, I would know. Guys are pigs. I just don't want you getting hurt, okay? Believe it or not but I really care about you, niece."

Riley shook her head, "You don't have to worry about any of that, Uncle Josh. He and I are just friends."

"Are you sure there's something you're not telling me?" Josh pressed, leaning his head closer.

"No," Riley replied. Josh gave her a look. She raised her palms in defense, "I swear."

"Well, you may not like him but I think he likes you," Josh shrugged. He rubbed his hands together. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Riley."

"And?"

"He likes you."

"That's not possible."

* * *

Dinner went smoothly. Riley's family got to know Lucas better. Although Josh didn't like Lucas, Riley was glad the rest of her family got along with him.

After dinner, they gathered around the Christmas tree. Lucas awkwardly sat at the bay window as he watched the Matthews exchange presents. He felt very welcome in their home, but this current situation made him feel like he didn't belong there. In that very moment, he missed his family. He wanted to spend Christmas with his family, but being with Riley's family was the second best thing he could think of.

"Lucas." Riley snapped him out of his daze. She held out a neatly wrapped box in front him. Lucas looked confused, but Riley nodded at him. He hesitantly took the box.

"Riley, you know you didn't have to get me anything," Lucas sighed. "You inviting me here is the best gift I can get this Christmas."

Riley shook her head, "This isn't from me. It's from my parents."

Lucas looked at Cory and Topanga. They smiled at him.

"Thank you, really," Lucas said. "But I feel bad I didn't get you guys anything."

"The cake was more than enough," Topanga assured him. "Cory loves cake."

"That I do," Cory agreed. "Best cake I've had in a while. And we own a bakery."

Topanga laughed at her husband. She turned back to Lucas, "We insist. Please take it."

Lucas looked at the present in Riley's hands once again. He took it from her. He hesitantly unwrapped it. He opened the box. It was a wristwatch.

"Oh my god," Lucas said. He looked back at Cory and Topanga. "You guys really didn't have to get this."

"Believe me, it was no problem," Cory replied.

After opening the presents, Cory and Topanga put on a Christmas movie for the family to watch. Riley opted out of the movie, taking Lucas into her room instead. This raised even more suspicion in Josh as he watched the two head to her bedroom. But if her parents allowed her alone in her room with Lucas, that _must_ mean nothing romantic was going on between them. Right?

Riley sat at the bay window as she watched Lucas explore her room, much like she did in his room back in Texas.

"Huh, your room very much yells 'Riley Matthews'," Lucas commented. He looked at the pictures on the wall beside her bed. He found a photo of them from when they went horseback riding in Texas. He pointed at it and turned to Riley, "You got these photos printed?"

Riley nodded with a smile. Lucas sat down beside her.

"Thanks for spending Christmas with me," Riley said.

"Thank you for inviting me," Lucas replied. "Your family is very nice. It's just Josh"—he cringed even saying his name—"he's a bit unsettling. I don't think he likes me very much."

Riley scrunched her face. She waved her hand in the air, "It's okay, his opinion doesn't matter."

"Yeah, I'm glad I got along with your parents," Lucas said.

"Oh, please," Riley said, "they've liked you since the first time you met."

"Right," Lucas nodded. "But they really didn't have to get me this." He raised his left wrist which had the watch wrapped around it.

"Speaking of presents, you have one more," Riley said. From behind her, she pulled out a present, neatly wrapped like the first one Lucas received. She handed it to him.

"Seriously, Riles?" Lucas raised his brow. "You didn't have to."

"Just open it," Riley insisted. He took the present from her.

He unwrapped the present to reveal a gift box. He then opened the box and took out its contents. It was a blue scarf.

"Seeing as this is your first winter, I assumed you didn't have too much winter attire," Riley explained. "So I got you a scarf."

"A blue scarf," Lucas corrected, wrapping it around his neck. Blue was his favorite color.

"Yes," Riley nodded. "You always wear blue so I figured I'd get you a blue scarf so I know you'd wear it for sure."

"Very funny," Lucas nudged her.

Riley beamed.

"Thank you, I love it. I'm sure it'll be very useful," Lucas was really grateful to have her in his life, even if just as a friend. He smiled at her. His face quickly dropped when he realized something. "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything. All the extra money I had, I used it to help pay for residence fees and tuition."

"It's okay, I have this," Riley got up and walked to her dresser. She reached for the red velvet box in the drawer. She turned to Lucas and showed him the box that contained the jellybean he had given her as a symbol of their friendship on her birthday a couple of weeks back. She sat back down beside him. "Merry Christmas, Lucas."

"Merry Christmas, Riley," Lucas returned with a soft smile and offered her a hug.

* * *

 **Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't take too long editing because I wanted to get this up as soon as possible. Also, for those who wanted a mistletoe scene, I really intended to write one after your feedback, but I completely forgot to add it in when I was writing. I didn't want to re-write a bunch of scenes just to make it fit, so I opted not to do it. BUT, if I did have one, it'd go like this: Riley opens the door for Lucas, Auggie notices a mistletoe hanging above them and points it out. The two blush and don't want to say anything. Josh notices this and immediately pulls Riley away from the mistletoe.**

 **Also, I think Lucas has finally got his feelings under control which is why he isn't as awkward in this chapter.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed!**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**I'm glad most of you share the same frustrations I've had with the writers. I hope they know a lot of us are unhappy. At this point, I don't care too much if we don't get a season four. But if we do, I hope the writers come to their senses and resolve any issues we've had with them.**

 **Anyway. Again, I'm sorry for the lack of editing of this chapter. I'm just trying to update as much as I possibly can before I go into study mode for exams. This is another lengthy chapter and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. We get to see a flashback of how Rucas met, and another thing you've all been waiting for. ;)**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Riley was keeping Lucas company in his dorm a couple of days after Christmas. Riley had to spend time with her family, which Lucas understood, so Lucas spent those couple of days by himself. But Riley promised to spend time with him as soon as her parents were over the 'family bonding during the holidays' thing.

"Thank you again for letting me spend Christmas with your family," Lucas said. Words couldn't explain how truly grateful he was for the opportunity. It was a lot better than sulking in sadness if he had spent it alone in his dorm room eating take-out and watching _Home Alone_.

"Of course! You let me spend Thanksgiving with yours, it was only fair," Riley said with a shrug.

Lucas looked outside the window absentmindedly. Riley had been trying to get his attention for the past couple of minutes but to no avail.

"Lucas!" Riley called as she shook him. That sure did it. Lucas snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Riley.

"Sorry," Lucas shook his head.

"No worries," Riley said. She looked out the window. She saw how gentle the snowfall was and how it covered all the buildings in sight. It was beautiful to look at. "Were you looking at the snow?"

"Yeah, I was," Lucas confirmed softly. "It's really pretty."

"It is, isn't it?" Riley said. She then came to a realization. "Wait, this is your first time experiencing snow, right?"

"That's why you got me a scarf, isn't it?" Lucas slowly nodded, he wasn't sure what Riley was getting at.

"Instead of moping around inside all day, we should go do something!" Riley suggested as she stood up. "You haven't really done much since you get to New York, have you?"

"No," Lucas said, "school's been consuming all my time."

"Well, perfect!" Riley clasped her hands together. "I'll take you out into the city and we can go to do some winter activities! Ever been ice skating?"

"Of course not," Lucas scoffed.

"Good, I'll teach you," Riley beamed.

"Riley the klutz, should I really trust you to teach me how to ice skate?" Lucas joked.

"Hey, if it wasn't for me being such a klutz, we wouldn't have met," Riley pointed out.

"True," Lucas laughed.

* * *

 _ **Three Months Ago…**_

 _It was Riley's first week of school. She had survived the first two days, and things were going pretty well. She liked her professors so far and met some people in her classes. The only thing that bothered her was that she had no classes with Maya, or Farkle, two people whom she spent her entire academic career with, until now._

 _Riley bobbed her head along to the music that played through her headphones as she stood on the subway holding on to a pole. The subway was crowded as usual, and she's learned to adjust to it. She was a New York native, after all. As the subway approached the next station, the train screeched to a halt, sending the passengers jerking around. Riley, lost in the music, wasn't paying attention to what was happening and lost her grip on the pole. She flew back to the seats behind her, landing in a stranger's lap. She gulped, embarrassed to be in that position._

 _Riley hesitated to turn around, afraid that the victim was some creepy old dude. She gained the courage to face the stranger, and she was glad she did. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized it wasn't a creep. She turned to face a blond boy who looked around her age. She was surprised at how handsome he was. He had stunning green eyes and a very chiseled jaw. She snapped her head out of it. She had a boyfriend, Charlie. But that didn't mean she couldn't stare at other good looking men. She was sure Charlie checked out hot girls all the time._

" _I am so sorry," was all Riley could manage to say._

 _The blond shook his head and laughed it off. He smiled at her, "I'm Lucas."_

" _I'm Riley," she replied sheepishly. She awkwardly got up and stood in front of him. She smoothed out her clothes._

" _Does this happen a lot in New York?" Lucas asked._

" _What? You mean having pretty girls fall in your lap?" Riley joked. He nodded with a smile. "Huh, you must not be from here."_

" _Nope," he confirmed. "I'm from Texas."_

" _That's an awful long way from here," Riley said. "Well, I'm sorry again for falling into your lap."_

" _No worries," Lucas said._

 _Riley gave him a small wave before going through the crowd to find another place to stand._

 _When she got to her class, she noticed a familiar face. It was the boy she had met on the subway. She decided to sit beside him. He was looking down on his phone. She coughed to make her presence known._

" _Oh! Hey," Lucas greeted with a smile. "Are you stalking me?"_

" _No," Riley chuckled, "I'm in this class."_

" _What a coincidence," Lucas replied with a smirk, "so am I."_

* * *

The first thing on Riley's agenda was to have a stroll through Central Park. It was only fair that Lucas experienced the snow firsthand, and what better way to do so than take a walk in the park? It was beautiful this time of year, but then again, Central Park was stunning in any season.

As they walked, Riley couldn't help giggle at the fact that Lucas looked like a child in a candy store. He was so mesmerized by the snow on the ground.

"You have to try catching a snowflake on your tongue," Riley suggested. She leaned her head back so that her face was looking up at the sky. She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue until she felt a snowflake fall onto it. Lucas looked at her strange.

"What?" Riley shrugged. "It's a thing."

Lucas shook his head and laughed, "I don't doubt that it is."

"So try it," Riley said. "It's all part of the winter experience."

Lucas looked around at the other people in the park. He saw some little kids do the same thing that Riley was just doing.

"Oh, it _is_ a thing," Lucas muttered to himself. He shrugged and tried to catch a snowflake in his mouth. He turned to Riley, "I don't get the hype in that."

Riley chuckled, "It's better as a kid."

They continued to walk some more. Watching the kids play in the snow gave Riley an idea. She tugged Lucas's arm and led them towards a tree.

"You know what else is fun? To do even when you're not a kid?" Riley asked.

"I don't know, what?" Lucas asked.

"Building a snowman!" Riley cheered, jumping up and down while grabbing Lucas's arm.

Lucas raised a brow skeptically. Riley dropped to the ground and started to pack some snow. Once she created a snowball, she rolled it until she was happy with the size.

"Create one a bit smaller than that," Riley commanded.

"Okay…" Lucas said before attempting to make a snowball. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Riley showed him how to properly do it then instructed him to put that ball of snow on top of the one she had previously made. Then Riley created a smaller snowball than the one Lucas made. She put it on top of the other two.

"Doesn't look like much of a snowman," Lucas titled his head as he examined the three stacked snowballs.

"Geez, Lucas," Riley rolled her eyes. "I get that you're from Texas, but I'm sure you have some idea of what winter is like."

Lucas laughed it off because he knew she was right. He did have some winter knowledge. Granted, most of them were from movies and TV, but he did know what a snowman looked like. He walked back to the tree and picked up some decent size tree branches that scattered at the trunk. He then stuck the sticks on either side of the in-progress snowman.

Riley smiled. He was getting the hang of this winter thing. She searched for some small rocks to create the face of their snowman. They didn't bother with putting more details, as they were happy with how it turned out.

"Good job!" Riley praised, nudging him. "Your first snowman."

"I'm so proud," Lucas joked.

Riley suggested, "Go stand beside it. I'll take your picture." She took out her phone, as well as her gloves so she could take a photo of Lucas and his first snowman. She took a couple of shots as Lucas decided to change up his poses. Some were silly and some were serious. Riley laughed as she looked through them.

"Come," Lucas motioned for her to approach him and the snowman. "Gotta have you in the picture, too."

Lucas took Riley's phone from her and proceeded to take some photos of them with the snowman. Once finished, Lucas returned Riley's phone to her. As Riley examined the newly taken photos, she suddenly felt something hit her. Confused, she turned to the source. Lucas had thrown a snowball at her. She looked at him with a confused smile.

"You're right, I do have an idea of what winter is like," Lucas shrugged. He held another snowball in his hand. "Snowball fights are a thing, right?"

Riley laughed and shook her head. She put her phone away before creating some snowballs in order to retaliate. The two ran around as they threw snowballs at each other, giggling when it would accidentally hit an unknowing stranger. They quickly ran away when one of their suspects began to yell at them.

Once they were at a safe distance from the stranger, they stopped to catch their breaths.

"That was fun," Lucas said in between breaths. "Didn't think that would make me work up a sweat."

"Alright, next stop," Riley said as she led Lucas to the subway station.

* * *

Riley finished lacing up her rental skates when she turned to look at Lucas. He was clearly having trouble putting his skates on.

"Really?" Riley raised both eyebrows in amusement.

"What? I've never worn skates before," Lucas replied sheepishly.

"They're like tying shoes, Lucas," Riley said with a chuckle. "You're thinking about this too hard."

Lucas gave her a self-conscious smile. Riley rolled her eyes with a genuine smile and offered to help with his skates. Once they were on tight, Riley helped up. It didn't take him too long to balance himself on the skates. Lucas was able to walk to the ice with no problem.

"Wow, skating is so easy," Lucas commented.

"Wait till you get onto the ice," Riley smirked. She stepped onto the ice with Lucas in tow. As soon as Lucas's foot made contact with the ice, he almost slipped. Luckily, Riley was there to help.

"Oh my god, this is harder than riding a bull," Lucas whined, holding onto Riley for dear life as she slowly walked him around the rink.

"Just take little steps, as if you're marching," Riley said, pushing him off her so he could try to conquer the ice on his own.

She laughed as she watched Lucas. He held his arms out for balance and bent his knees for support. He had marched a couple of feet when a little boy rushed past him, making Lucas lose his balance and ultimately landing on the ice.

Riley couldn't help but laugh until her sides hurt.

"That's hilarious," Riley slapped her knee.

Lucas pouted, "Help me up."

"Of course," Riley replied as she taught him how to get up properly. Now that Lucas was able to walk on the ice, Riley decided to take him on a ride. She grabbed his arm as she started skating smoothly around the rink.

"Oh my god, Riley, slow down!" Lucas yelled, trying to keep up with the brunette.

"Isn't this fun?" Riley said as she continued to skate with Lucas in tow.

"I'm going to crash into someone, Riley!" Lucas panicked. With more people starting to crowd the ice rink, another skater skating in between Riley and Lucas, which resulted in Riley letting go of Lucas's arm. He lost his balance once again and fell flat on his back. Riley skated back to him.

"Are you okay?" Riley gasped, covering her hand with her mouth.

Lucas groaned, attempting to sit up on the ice. He shook his head, "I think I broke something. Can you help me up?"

"Of course," Riley stuck her hand out towards him. He put his hand in hers, and instead of getting up, he pulled her down towards him. She giggled when she realized what he did. She fell onto his chest. What a compromising situation. With their close proximity, all they could do was stare into each other's eyes. For a moment, they felt like they were the only ones there. Lucas's heart began to pound in his chest, and he contemplated whether or not he should kiss her. He stared at her lips that were covered with a light pink lip gloss.

"We need to get up," Riley finally said. She stood up and smoothed out her clothes. "Don't wanna be the cause of any accidents."

Lucas got up as well.

"I think I've had enough of skating for today," Lucas declared. "It's getting kinda cold."

Riley nodded, "Sure. Off to our next stop."

"Where are you taking me now?"

"Don't worry," Riley laughed. "It'll be indoors."

* * *

The pair arrived at their final destination of the day.

"Isn't this your building?" Lucas asked.

Riley nodded, "My parents own the bakery here."

Riley led him inside Topanga's and seated themselves at a booth. Topanga approached the two.

"Hey guys," she greeted. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were starting to get cold," Riley explained. "So I took him here for some hot chocolate." She turned to Lucas, "My mom makes the best hot chocolate in all of New York City."

Lucas smiled.

Topanga waved her hand in the air, "Oh, no, honey—"

"Don't be so modest, Mom," Riley interrupted. "You know it's true."

"Alright," Topanga shook her head. She grabbed the notepad from her apron and started to jot down notes. "So just two hot chocolates then?"

Riley looked at Lucas, who nodded. He said, "I'll take a look at the menu and see if I want anything else."

"Alright, sounds good," Topanga flashed a smile before walking away.

"Why have you never taken me here before?" Lucas inquired as he looked around the carefully decorated bakery.

"Because," Riley looked at him as if he had just grown another head. "My parents own the place. They're crazy."

"So then why take me here now?" Lucas asked.

"You met them already," Riley replied, "so now I have nothing to worry about."

"You were really worried about me meeting your parents?" he cocked a brow.

"I'm worried about any of my friends meeting my parents," Riley responded with a shrug.

"Fair enough," Lucas said.

"By the way, I'm having a New Year's Eve party," Riley said. "I throw one every year. Please come?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Lucas promised.

The sat in silence as they stared into each other's eyes and smiled. Topanga returned to the booth with two hot chocolates and couldn't help but notice the pair's current state. She smirked to herself. _She totally likes him_ , Topanga thought.

Riley wouldn't admit it, but after spending the day roaming around New York with Lucas, she felt budding feelings for the green-eyed boy. She wasn't about to do anything about it though. It's not like she could. They had a pact, remember?

* * *

 **Who saw that coming? Probably all of you. And to those who really wanted to see a kiss last chapter, I apologize. But _trust me_** **, you'll get one soon. ALSO, if any of you are interested, I started working on a new Rucas fic. It has a lot of angst and drama unlike this fic and I hope to have that up in January. And I was also thinking about writing a Rucas Christmas oneshot based on A Christmas Maya because I _refuse_ to believe that Lucas left without telling Riley. It doesn't. Make. Sense.**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**New Year's Eve. What could possibly happen at midnight?**

* * *

Chapter Twenty

The night of Riley's New Year's Eve party, Lucas offered to come early to help set up. The party was primarily going to take place in the Matthews' apartment, and they would all go to the rooftop when it was time for the countdown. When the two finished putting out snacks and some decorations in the apartment, Riley led him up to the rooftop. It was his first time on the rooftop of Riley's apartment building, and he couldn't help but be in awe at the view. The view was much different than in Texas.

Riley noticed him stand at the edge and take in the view.

"Not as pretty as Texas, huh?" Riley mused as she stood beside him.

"No," Lucas shook his head. "New York is a different kind of pretty."

"I still feel bad you don't get to ring in the new year with your family," Riley said with a frown.

"Hey, don't," Lucas turned to Riley and put an arm around her. "You're making my holidays even better."

"Really? Or are you just saying that?" Riley pouted. Lucas smiled softly at the sight. Could she be any cuter? Hopefully not, otherwise Lucas wouldn't be able to keep his feelings in any longer.

"Well, spending time with my family would've been nice," Lucas replied truthfully, mostly because he knew that's what Riley wanted to hear. "But you're the next best thing."

Riley stroked her chin in thought. She replied, "Well, I mean, you could've still spent the holidays in Texas, you know, with Zay. But instead you chose to stay here with me. Okay, yeah, I feel better."

Lucas rolled his eyes with a smile. He let the arm that was around Riley drop back to his side.

"Are you trying to compete over who's a better best friend with Zay?" Lucas laughed.

"Maybe," Riley shrugged.

"Oh, shoot," Lucas muttered. Riley looked at him curiously. He explained himself, "I forgot my scarf. I'm just gonna head back to my dorm to grab it."

"Don't be silly," Riley said. "I can find you one downstairs if you'd like."

"It's alright," Lucas waved her off. "I like the one you gave me. I'll be back just in time for the party, okay?"

Riley smiled, "Yeah, sure."

Lucas rushed back to his dorm. It wasn't too far from the Matthews', which is why he decided to go back for it in the first place. He realized that it'd be colder at midnight and he liked how the scarf felt on his neck. Mostly, he liked how it reminded him of Riley. Sure, Riley would be there on the rooftop with him, considering that it was her party, but he needed the scarf to remind him that he wasn't going to be kissing Riley when the clock strikes midnight.

Lucas took longer than he thought, because when he returned to Riley's apartment, it seemed like all of her guests were already there. He looked through the crowd, searching for Riley, but to no avail. Instead, he recognized another familiar face—Josh. Lucas wasn't going to approach him, but when they made eye contact, Josh waved and walked over to him.

"Lucas, good to see you again!" Josh greeted, patting him on the back.

"Likewise, Josh," Lucas replied with a smile. Lucas wasn't too sure if Josh liked him after the vibes he got from him during Christmas at the Matthews', but Lucas was glad that Josh even acknowledged him. "Is Maya back from Ireland yet?"

As if on cue, Maya walked over to the two boys and stood beside Josh. Josh wrapped her arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. He turned back to Lucas and said, "Yup. She's back."

"Huckleberry!" Maya said. "How have you been?"

"I've been great!" Lucas said. And he was doing great. He'd been spending lots of time with Riley while Maya was gone. "And how was your trip? I'm sure Riley's glad that you're back."

"My trip was amazing, I brought her back Irish soap as a joke and I can't wait to see her reaction," Maya laughed. She looked around the apartment. "I haven't seen her yet. But speaking of Riley, Josh told me you spent Christmas with them. And that you've been spending time with her."

"Yeah, didn't want to be by myself in my dorm," Lucas shrugged.

"So how was that then? Spending time with the Matthews," Maya inquired. "Are they as crazy as Riley said they were?"

"Honestly? Not as crazy as Riley," Lucas replied with a chuckle. His response resulted in a raised eyebrow from Josh. Lucas noticed and his chuckle slowly transitioned into a nervous one.

Maya looked between the two boys. She squinted her eyes at Josh, then realized what was going on.

"Oh!" Maya palmed her forehead. "I see what's going on here." She turned to Josh and patted his chest. "Good job, babe."

Josh moved the hand that was on Maya's shoulder and relocated it to her waist, then pulled her closer. He smirked, "Why thank you, love."

Lucas looked at the two in confusion.

"I see how uneasy you are towards Josh," Maya said to Lucas. "Trust me, Josh isn't as scary as he may seem. In fact, he's far from it. He was just trying to scare you during Christmas."

"Scare me, why?" Lucas gulped.

"He wants to make sure you're good enough for her," Maya explained. "He told Riley he doesn't like you, but he does."

Josh stood there with a smile and nodded.

"Good enough for—" Lucas tried to understand what Maya was saying. But before he could ask for her to elaborate, Maya pulled yet another familiar face into the conversation.

"Farkle!" Maya said cheerfully. "Here, talk to Huckleberry."

Before either Farkle or Lucas could protest, Maya walked away with Josh in tow, chuckling to themselves.

"What was that about?" Farkle asked.

"Beats me," Lucas shrugged. Lucas eyed an empty spot at the living room's bay window. He invited Farkle to sit with him there. "So how have you been, Farkle? And for the record, you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. I know Maya used you as an escape."

"That's alright," Farkle waved him off. "I'd kinda like to get to know my best friend's new best friend better anyway. See what all the hype is about."

"Hype? What hype?" Lucas furrowed his brows.

"Riley talks about you all the time," Farkle laughed. "She doesn't talk about her friends too much unless they're really interesting. So what's interesting about you? Other than your freak face."

Lucas gave Farkle a strange look.

"I call you freak face," Farkle replied with a friendly smile. "Because you are. I swear, no average man in this city looks like you. Must be the water in Texas. I can see why Riley's so interested."

"Interested?"

"As a friend," Farkle added.

"Riley?" Lucas said. "She's only friends with me because of my face?"

Farkle shook his head and explained, "No, genius. But it sure helped. The friendship you have with Little Miss Sunshine is definitely genuine, don't get me wrong. But I'm sure your looks are what led her to being friends with you in the first place…" Farkle was starting to get it. He was starting to get why people thought Riley and Lucas were a thing. Because Lucas was the perfect match for Riley. Farkle realized that everything Riley wanted in a man, Lucas had.

"I don't see what you're trying to get at here," Lucas replied.

"That's okay," Farkle responded with a sheepish smile. He lied, "I don't either."

"Right," Lucas answered. "So where's your girlfriend, Smackle?"

"She's still out of state for the holidays," Farkle replied. "Same time zone, though. So we can still ring in the new year together, even if it's on video chat."

"Hey, there you are," Riley said as she approached two of her best friends. She turned to Lucas, "Thought you'd never make it back here."

"I've been back for a while," Lucas replied. "I talked to Maya and your Uncle Josh, and Farkle and I here were just having a chat."

"I like him, Riley," Farkle raised his brows at her. Riley was unsure what that look meant so she shrugged it off.

"I love when my friends get along," Riley gushed.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to charge my phone," Farkle said. "To make sure it doesn't die on me when I talk to Izzy." Farkle got up and left to find an outlet for his phone charger.

Riley took Farkle's place beside Lucas at the window.

"So you're enjoying yourself, right?" Riley inquired.

"Of course I am," Lucas assured her. "Your friends sure are something."

"By friends I'm assuming you mean Farkle," Riley said with a smile. "I know it may seem like he doesn't know what he's talking about, but he does. He's a genius, after all."

"You sure you don't want to spend time with your other friends?" Lucas asked. "I'm sure you're tired of spending time with me."

"Don't worry about it," Riley waved him off. "Besides, I already saw Maya. She went to Ireland and all she could bring back to me is Irish soap, can you believe that?"

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle at Riley's distress over a bar of soap.

"She's your best friend, I'm sure she brought you back other things," Lucas said. "She only gave you the soap to get under your skin."

"Well, it worked," Riley replied.

For most of the night, Riley was with Lucas. She did feel guilty that she didn't talk to many of her high school friends that she hadn't seen in a while, but she just couldn't find the strength in herself to pull away from Lucas. She just really enjoyed his company and wanted to spend all the time in the world with him if she could. Platonically, of course.

Once it was fifteen minutes to midnight, Riley ushered everyone out of the apartment and onto the rooftop. Everyone scattered and paired off with who they wanted to ring in the New Year with. Maya and Josh were together, and Farkle went off to a corner and began to video chat with Smackle on his phone. Lucas and Riley found themselves together once again. They talked about the past couple of days they spent together and Riley also talked about her high school friends that were in attendance.

Before everyone knew it, it was five seconds to midnight. Voices filled the air as they counted down together. The year was about to end a new one was about to begin, and they all couldn't be happier.

"5!"

Riley saw Auggie standing by himself in the crowd as everyone counted down. As much as she wanted to ring in the new year with Lucas, her brother was more important. She turned away from Lucas and was about to walk away—

"4!"

Lucas grabbed her hand to turn her back to him. Riley quickly looked back at Auggie and smiled when she realized he wasn't alone and was in fact standing with his girlfriend, Ava. Riley turned back to Lucas. They caught themselves staring deep into each other's eyes.

"3!"

Their hearts began to beat faster. They both gulped. They stared at the other's lips, wondering what they would feel like on theirs.

"2!"

Oblivious to each other's feelings for one another, they contemplated whether or not they should lean in for a kiss.

"1!"

As the clock struck twelve, fireworks went off and distinct cheering could be heard from other groups also ringing in the new year outside at ground level. Riley looked around and saw her friends kissing their significant others. Maya shared a kiss with Josh. Auggie and Ava kissed each other on the cheek. Heck, even Farkle shared a virtual kiss with Smackle through his phone. Riley's eyes landed back on Lucas's once again. They stood there in front of each other. Their eyes were locked, intensity building between them. Without thinking, they both moved forward, Lucas's hand quickly holding her cheek. Their lips touched and they both felt electricity go through their bodies. The kiss lasted for a couple of seconds, Riley and Lucas savoring every moment of their lips' interaction. Once they pulled away, Lucas dropped his hand and they resumed to stare into each other's eyes. They didn't say a word. And they weren't exactly sure what had just happened, either.

Lucas was the first to react. Once he was able to process the situation, his eyes grew wide. He bit his lip and ran off towards the exit without saying a word. Riley was left standing there, stunned. Fireworks continued to light up the sky around her as everyone continued to celebrate.

* * *

 **I'm very happy with how I ended this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed! I am screaming on the inside. They finally kissed!**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**This chapter ended up going in a different direction than I had originally intended, but I really like how it turned out. Also thank you for all the reviews! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about how stupid Lucas was to have run off like that. But I promise, things will work out!**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

Lucas couldn't believe what just happened. He didn't know what else to do, so he ran off. He returned to his dorm and plopped down on his bed. He decided that running away would be a lot easier than having Riley reject him and tell him that the kiss was a mistake. The kiss wasn't a mistake to him, though. He had dreamt about that moment for the past couple of weeks, and he didn't know he'd actually get that chance.

He couldn't even sleep, because he still felt the sensation of her lips pressed against his. Instead he stayed up most of the night staring at his ceiling, wondering if there'd ever be a chance for Riley and Lucas.

Lucas only got a couple hours of sleep, but when he woke up at noon, he was ecstatic. He realized that today was the day students who didn't stay in the dorms for the holidays were allowed to move back in. It was also the day Zay returned from Texas. Lucas couldn't wait to see his best friend again, he needed someone to talk to about the ordeal that took place the previous night.

"You kissed your sister?!" Zay shrieked. He was greeted by the news of what happened on the rooftop of the Matthews' apartment building on New Year's Eve. He had barely gotten through the door when Lucas pounced on him and ranted about everything that happened while he was gone.

Lucas nodded.

"And then you left right after?"

Lucas nodded again.

"You're so stupid," Zay shook his head as he rested his luggage beside the door to his room.

"It was New Year's Eve!" Lucas defended himself. "It was in the moment! The kiss wasn't supposed to happen. I messed up." He plopped down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

"It wasn't?" Zay raised a brow, following his roommate to sit beside him. "So you're saying you _didn't_ want to kiss her?"

"N-no.. I-I did," Lucas said softly.

"So then how did you mess up?" Zay inquired.

"Because she doesn't like me that way!" Lucas threw his arms in the air. "I ruined our friendship with a kiss."

"You don't know that for sure," Zay replied. He patted Lucas's back. "Who initiated the kiss?"

"Uh, I did," Lucas scratched his head, "I think.. I mean I know I leaned in but now that I think about it, I think she did too."

"Who pulled away first?" Zay asked.

"We pulled away at the same time," Lucas's voice trailed off.

"Well, then you've got your answer!" Zay said. "She likes you too. You just ruined it for yourself for running away."

"No, there is no way she likes me," Lucas denied.

"Look, man, I love you and all," Zay began, "but you really gotta pull your head out of your ass. It's obvious she likes you. And it's painfully obvious you like her back. But you know what? You're never gonna know what that kiss meant until you talk to her, you know?"

Lucas sighed dramatically. He hated when Zay was right. Granted, those moments were very few, but he still didn't quite appreciate it.

"New Year's kiss or not, it meant something to you," Zay continued, "I know it did. Otherwise you wouldn't be making a big deal out of it."

"I hate it when you're right," Lucas scoffed and slid down into his seat.

* * *

Riley easily drifted off to sleep last night. She didn't think about it too much. She figured that if Lucas did feel the same way as she did, he wouldn't have taken off like that. Although she was able to sleep, she, however, didn't want to get up. She wanted to stay in bed forever.

"Riley, what are you doing still in bed?" Topanga asked as she barged in her room. She sat on the bed.

Riley replied with a groan.

"You have to move your stuff back into your dorm," Topanga reminded her. "Josh is already at Maya's to help her with her things. Will Lucas be able to help you?"

Riley groaned again, but this time, a lot louder and more annoyed. She pulled the covers over her head. Lucas. She didn't want to think about him, but it sure was hard when her mom brought him up.

"Fine," Topanga said with her palms in front of her to defend herself. She wasn't quite sure why Riley was so against Lucas helping her, but she just shrugged it off. Who knew teen angst would still be happening at eighteen? "Just let your dad know if you need help."

Topanga got up and proceeded to leave her daughter's room. Once gone, Riley pulled the covers off of her. She slowly sat up. She stayed seated for a couple of minutes as she looked around her room. She hadn't even begun to repack her things to bring back to her dorm. She was too occupied with planning her New Year's party.

Riley sighed and forced herself out of bed. She grabbed her suitcase from her closet and began to pack. She thought that packing would keep her mind off of Lucas. She told herself she didn't want to think about it, but that's all she found herself doing as she continued to pack. Her insecurities overpowered her. She found herself overthinking. She made a huge mistake by kissing Lucas. She ruined their friendship just because she couldn't keep her feelings intact. It was painfully obvious to Riley that Lucas didn't reciprocate those feelings—why else would he have run off like that? Besides, even if he did like her back, all she could think about was the stupid pact that she had so drunkenly agreed to.

Riley asked Cory to drop her off back at her dorm. She wasn't surprised when she entered the room to see Maya and her uncle kissing on the couch.

"Gross!" Riley announced her presence as she proceeded to cover her eyes with her hand. She tried to walk over to her room with her eyes covered but to no avail. She tripped and fell on her face.

Maya and Josh were quick to notice the brunette and helped her up.

"I get that you're dating now, but can you guys please leave the PDA at a minimum?" Riley requested as she got up and smoothed out her clothes. "I'd rather _not_ know what my best friend is doing with my uncle."

Josh and Maya exchanged looks and laughed.

"Sorry, honey," Maya apologized. "I just can't help myself."

"Yeah, pretty soon you'll be calling her Aunt Maya," Josh chuckled.

"Not someday soon, I hope," Riley poked a finger at her uncle's chest. "She's still my best friend and she always will be my best friend first. Just let her get through college, alright? I already had a hard time trying to convince her to apply."

"Alright, niece," Josh raised his palms in front of him. "Do you need help settling in? We finished unpacking Maya's stuff."

"Yeah, sure," Riley accepted. Maya and Josh took Riley's luggage and rolled them into her room. Riley was following the couple until she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She reached for it and saw Lucas's name. Riley was sure he was going to tell her that the kiss was a mistake and that he had no feelings for her. She didn't have the time to get rejected. Instead, she took a deep breath before declining the call.

* * *

"She didn't pick up!" Lucas threw his arms into the air, distressed. Zay had talked him into calling Riley and after the initial call, Lucas had decided it was a bad idea. Lucas turned to Zay, who was making himself a snack in the kitchen. "She doesn't want to talk to me, Zay."

"You don't know that," Zay shrugged. "She could be busy. She's also moving back into her dorm."

"I guess you're right," Lucas sighed. He placed his phone on the coffee table in front of him.

"Try calling her again later?" Zay suggested.

So, Lucas tried calling her again later that day. Still no answer. For the next few days, he still tried to reach out to her. And still, no reply from the brunette. Lucas was starting to lose hope. He was going to put his heart on the line for her, but that didn't matter if she wasn't willing to listen. He hadn't seen her since the incident. School resumed and he hated that he didn't have any classes with her that semester.

Is this what it felt like when Lucas avoided Riley for those couple of weeks? Lucas felt awful about it. If he had known how bad it was going to feel, he never would've ignored her. But now, she was avoiding him. Lucas assumed it was because Riley thought that the kiss meant nothing and was giving him space in order for him to sort out his feelings. Boy, he couldn't have been more wrong.

But what else was he supposed to think? Why else was Riley avoiding him? She felt awkward about the kiss, and she was unsure how to let Lucas down gently. Lucas knew in his heart that that's what it was. That he never stood a chance with her in the first place. This only reiterated the thought in him that the kiss was a mistake. A stupid mistake that happened under the colorful fireworks that happened on New Year's Eve in New York City. A scenario that anyone would kill to find themselves in.

"Zay, I'm giving up," Lucas declared when he walked through the door. He had just finished his classes but wasn't able to focus in any of them. His mind was solely focused on Riley, just like it had been the past couple of weeks.

"What, why?" Zay asked, moving his gaze from the TV to his best friend.

"It's been weeks," Lucas pointed out. "Am I just supposed to wait for her forever? Maybe this was just a sign that it wasn't meant to be."

"You're not the type to give up, Friar," Zay reminded him. He got up and walked towards Lucas. He placed a hand on his shoulder before leading him to the couch to sit down. "Remember back in Texas? When Vanessa stupidly signed you up to ride Tombstone the bull?"

"Yes, I remember that," Lucas nodded. "As much as I love Vanessa—as a friend, of course—I hated her with every fibre of my being at that time. Do you understand how hard that was for me? I was terrified, Zay."

"You were terrified because you failed several times before," Zay pointed out. "You fell off Judy the sheep when you were five, you fell off other sheep whose names don't matter as much as Judy. Hell, you also fell off other bulls before Tombstone. You wanted to be a rodeo star, remember? You never gave up. You were hesitant to get on Tombstone but you did. And you were successful. You beat the previous record! And at fifteen years old, too. I have never been more proud of my best friend in that moment. Because I knew what you went through to get there. You never gave up on your dream even though you hesitated."

"It was a stupid dream to have," Lucas said.

"Okay… but is she?"

"What's the point of this, man?" Lucas furrowed his brows.

"I'm just saying, don't give up on her," Zay sighed. "You tried reaching out to her many, many times, and failed. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep trying. You care about Sunshine, don't you?"

"I do, very much," Lucas nodded.

"Then don't give up on her," Zay said. "You may not regret not going through with your stupid dream of becoming a rodeo star, but what's not stupid is you and her. You might regret letting her slip through your fingers one day."

"Thanks, Zay," Lucas patted his best friend on the back. "I really needed to hear that."

* * *

Riley felt bad ignoring Lucas. She knew it was no way to solve any problem, but she didn't want to confront him until she sorted out her feelings. She had already cautiously told Maya about the whole situation, to which Maya slapped her arm for. She told Maya that she and Lucas haven't been talking lately, and Maya assumed the worst.

"Is he avoiding you again? I swear when Josh and I get our hands on him—"

"Maya, he's not avoiding me," Riley interrupted, pulling the blonde down beside her on the couch. "I'm the one avoiding him."

"What the hell, Riley, why?!" Maya yelled.

"We kissed," Riley said in one breath.

"What?" Maya's eyes grew wide. Though she couldn't deny the feelings she knew Riley and Lucas had for each other, she was surprised to hear about the kiss. "When?!"

"On the rooftop. New Year's Eve."

"How come I didn't notice?!"

"While I was busy kissing Lucas, you were too busy kissing my uncle," Riley pointed out with a disgusted look on her face.

"Fair enough," Maya shrugged. "But why are you avoiding him?"

"He ran off after the kiss," Riley confessed with a sigh.

"So?" Maya pressed. "Shouldn't he be the one ignoring you, then?"

"I don't know, Maya! He's tried reaching out to me, but I won't talk to him. I don't know what I'm feeling," Riley buried her face in her hands. They sat in silence for a bit. When Riley finally got herself in check, she looked up to lock eyes with the blonde. "Maya, I know my meddling nature has rubbed off on you over the years, but please—don't try to fix things. Let me handle it, okay? I promise I won't be ignoring him forever."

* * *

 **I am very pleased with Lucas and Zay's talks. Who knew Zay would be the voice of reason?**


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**So I finally got around to watching A Christmas Maya. It was a cute episode overall, if you disregard Lucas's absence and the cut Rucas scene. But anyway, I think the real triangle here was always Farkle/Smackle/Zay.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

With confidence thanks to Zay, Lucas decided he would confront Riley about the kiss. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but they were going to talk whether she liked it or not. He was so nervous that he didn't even have time to rehearse what he wanted to say. He figured that he'd just wing it and hope for the best. He was sure he couldn't mess things up more than they already were.

Lucas stood outside Riley and Maya's dorm room for what it felt like five minutes. He was giving himself a silent pep talk to prepare himself for what was about to go down. He wasn't sure why he hadn't done this before, to just man up and confront Riley face to face. Instead he decided to contact her over the phone, where she had the power to ignore him. He figured doing this in person was his best bet. The worst that could happen was Riley turning him away. He lifted his fist to knock on the door, but right when he was about to, the door opened to reveal Maya, who looked like she was about to head out.

"Oh, hey," Maya greeted with raised eyebrows. She didn't expect to see him at her door. But, knowing the current situation he was in with Riley, she was glad to see him.

"Hi," Lucas returned softly. "Is Riley here?"

"She is," Maya nodded. She pointed a finger at him and narrowed her eyes. "Just don't do anything stupid, okay, cowboy?"

Lucas took that threat as a sign that Riley had told Maya about the new year's kiss. He gulped. He knew Maya liked him, but in that moment he couldn't help but feel intimidated by the five-foot blonde. He knew that Maya would do anything for Riley, and that he'd be dead if he were to cause her pain.

"Believe me, I won't," Lucas assured her with a sheepish smile. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the girl he was helplessly and hopelessly in love with.

"Alright, well you can come in," Maya said with a grin. She wasn't going to turn Lucas away. She knew how much Riley liked him, even if she didn't completely accept it, and she knew that Riley needed this. Although Riley was the one avoiding Lucas, Maya knew that it was killing Riley inside that she and Lucas weren't talking. She silently praised Lucas for taking initiative and showing up to talk to Riley, especially when she was being ridiculously stubborn. "I was just on my way out to meet up with Josh."

"Tell him I said hi," Lucas replied as he stepped inside.

"Will do," Maya responded. She smiled at him and wished him luck before she left.

"Riley?" Lucas called out into the dorm, closing the door behind him. He assumed she was in her room because he didn't see her in the kitchen or living room.

Riley trotted out of her room to find the source of the voice. Her face dropped when she realized Lucas was standing in her kitchen. Why the hell did Maya let him in? Did she not understand what Riley meant when she said she was avoiding him?

"Lucas, what are you doing here?" Riley asked nervously. She knew she had to face him eventually and talk about what happened on the rooftop, but she wasn't planning on talking to him so soon.

"I needed to talk to you," Lucas replied, walking past her to sit on the couch in the living room. Riley hesitated, but she followed to sit beside the green-eyed boy. She could've easily told him to leave, but she surprised herself by allowing him to stay. "You wouldn't answer my calls or texts."

"Yeah…" Riley's voice trailed off. She looked around the room desperate to focus her gaze on something that wasn't the green-eyed boy that sat beside her. She couldn't risk staring at him. It would give too much away, and she still didn't want to have to deal with rejection. "I, uh, I've been busy. You know, with the new semester and all."

Lucas shifted so that he was facing her. She refused to make eye contact with him. She didn't want to find herself getting lost in those eyes of his that she's been dreaming about the past couple of weeks. Lucas, on the other hand, longed for those chocolate brown eyes to meet his. All he wanted to do was look into them, and for her to listen to what he had to say.

"No, that's not it," Lucas shook his head with a tight smile. "I know you've been avoiding me, Riley. Admit it."

Riley bit her lip. He was on to her. And she had no other excuses. Well, actually, she did have excuses in mind, but none of them were believable enough. She was surprised by the fact that Lucas saw right through her. She must have forgotten how well they know each other.

"Fine," Riley sighed and slouched her shoulders. "The kiss. We've got to talk about it sometime. That's why you're here, right? Because you wanted to talk about the kiss but I wasn't ready to."

Lucas nodded as his lips formed a straight line. He could feel his palms start to sweat. He wiped his hands on his pants. He told her, "That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, Riley. I've been thinking about it for weeks."

"So have I."

"Really?"

Riley nodded, "It was hard not to think about. I mean, it was a New Year's kiss, right? It's something you can't forget about that easily. Not under those circumstances."

Lucas was initially taken aback by her response but he quickly found himself internally jumping for joy. She had been thinking about the kiss too? This had to be a good sign. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He was sure Riley could hear his heartbeat from where she was sitting. He was overwhelmed. Sure, he was a bit skeptical when Zay told him that Riley had feelings for him. And sure, Lucas decided to take a chance. But never in a million years did he think that Zay would be right.

"That's exactly how I feel, Riley," Lucas said with hopeful eyes. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the twinkle in his eyes as she hung her head and watched her hands instead.

"We have to talk about what comes next, right?" Riley offered. For someone who didn't want to be having this conversation, she was doing rather well. She hasn't caved in to her feelings yet. And she knew she wouldn't as long as she didn't look into his eyes.

"Yeah, I was thinking…" Lucas's voice trailed off. He wanted to take her hands in his but decided against it. He didn't want to scare her off, especially when he still wasn't one hundred percent certain that she reciprocated his feelings. "Since we're both on the same page with this, we should—"

"Remain friends?" Riley quickly interjected. Lucas felt his heart drop to his stomach. He totally misunderstood Riley's feelings. _That_ was how she felt? Of course, Zay would be wrong. He frowned. At that moment, he didn't want to be in her presence anymore. He wanted to go back to his dorm and blame his heartache on Zay. He knew he never should've listened to him.

"What?" Lucas looked like a deer caught in the headlights. And again, Riley didn't notice. She had no idea what was going on in Lucas's mind, and he had no idea what was going on in hers, either. How could he have been so wrong? Lucas has never felt more humiliated in his life. Granted, he didn't exactly get the chance to tell her how he felt, but he felt the embarrassment just the same. He couldn't believe he was going to pour his heart out to her, and only to be rejected. That would've bruised his ego.

"Stay friends," Riley repeated with a shrug, finally looking up at him. She finally gained the courage to stare into his emerald eyes. Her feelings for him hit her like a bus, but she knew she had to stay strong. She had to be okay with the fact that all she and Lucas were ever going to be were best friends. At least that way, she didn't have to worry about ever losing him. He was important to her, and the last thing she wanted was for them not to be friends anymore. "That's what you wanted, right? Because I do, and I'm sorry for avoiding you. I just didn't know how to face you after what happened. I just felt awkward about it all, and I should've just been straight up with you. I mean, we're not kids anymore, we should be able to deal with this like mature adults. Besides, I get that it was just a spur of the moment type thing."

"Yeah," Lucas chuckled nervously. He scratched the back of his head. He didn't know what to say. How was he going to bounce back from this? He thought about going through with telling her his feelings, but what was the use? Even if she did know how he felt, it's not like it would change the fact that all she wanted to be was just friends.

"Great, because losing you would be the last thing I want," Riley gave him a small smile.

"Me too," Lucas returned. He forced a smile. Riley leaned in to give him a hug.

* * *

"Zay!" Lucas yelled when he got back to his dorm. The anger was evident in his voice, and if he didn't know any better, his old anger issues could be resurfacing.

"You don't have to call me twice," Zay said, popping his head out from his room. Zay knew Lucas was being completely serious whenever he used that tone of voice. He didn't want to take any risks by taking too long to approach his best friend.

"You were so wrong," Lucas said sternly, shaking his head. He walked towards Zay and gripped his shoulder. "Riley doesn't feel the same way! I was about to _humiliate_ myself, Zay! That's the last time I listen to you." Lucas tightened his grip on Zay's shoulder before releasing it. He took a deep breath and walked over to the couch to plop down on it.

Zay stared at his best friend in disbelief. He was wrong? No, that couldn't be right. He knew Riley _for sure_ had a crush on Lucas. The signs were all there! How was Lucas not seeing it? Zay shook his head, "Riley doesn't like you? Riley Matthews, ray of sunshine? The girl that enjoys your company? The girl that went to Texas with you just so she could see stars? The girl you told your past to and didn't run off scared? That Riley?"

Lucas nodded, then buried his face in his hands, "Don't remind me."

"God, Lucas, you're so stupid!" Zay slapped the back of Lucas's neck, earning a wince from the blond.

"What was that for?!" Lucas replied, whipping his head up to look at Zay.

"Oh my god," Zay muttered. "She is so in love with you, why can't you see that?! Are you blind, man?"

" _No_ ," Lucas answered with furrowed brows. "She said all she wants to be is friends. How in the world does that mean she's in love with me?"

"Holy shit, Luke, do I have to spell this out for you?" Zay was getting aggravated. He couldn't believe how stubborn Lucas was being. And Riley, too, for telling Lucas they should stay friends.

Lucas nodded, "I'd like that, thanks."

"Just because she wants to stay friends doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings," Zay pointed out. "Did you tell her how you felt?"

"No, she didn't give me a chance to," Lucas responded.

"Well, there you go," Zay said, waving his hand for emphasis. "I bet you ten bucks she only said that because she doesn't think you have feelings for her."

"Sure," Lucas shrugged. "But Zay, maybe we're both just better off as friends. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be."

"So you're done trying, are you?" Zay raised his brow.

Lucas shrugged in response and dragged himself to his room. If Lucas wanted to sulk in his sadness, then so be it. Zay figured he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.

* * *

 **Please don't hate me! Blame Riley for not allowing Lucas to talk! Also my last exam of the semester is on Monday, so after that, expect more frequent updates. I realized that this fic is almost done, and I want to finish it before the new year. Just a few more chapters until the end! Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**I meant to update after my last exam a couple of days ago but I didn't get a chance to! Not too sure how I feel about this chapter, but it's very dialogue-heavy and Riley's appearance is very brief.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

As soon as Maya got home from a day of hanging out with Josh, she found Riley on the couch in a messy bun wearing sweats and stuffing chips in her face. Upon closer inspection, she noticed tear stains on Riley's cheeks. Maya could only assume that they were from the chick flick she was watching on TV.

"What's the matter, honey?" Maya pouted as she positioned herself beside the brunette.

"I'm sitting here watching a chick flick looking like a mess," Riley turned to Maya. Being in Riley's close proximity allowed Maya to clearly see the smudged eye makeup that covered her eyelids. "What do you think is the matter?"

"Oh, right," Maya mentally smacked herself for forgetting she had left her alone with Lucas earlier. "What happened? I thought you guys were going to talk things out."

Riley nodded with a gulp, "Um, well… I didn't really let him do any talking."

Maya gestured for Riley to continue after realizing her best friend paused for her to react.

"I kinda told him that we should put the kiss behind us and remain friends," Riley looked at the bag of chips in her lap. She shook her head, "It's not what I want, but I know it's what he wants and his friendship is more important to me than my feelings. And also that pact. I'm not in the right place to date."

"Not in the right place?" Maya scoffed. She pointed out, "You and Charlie have been broken up for months!"

"Okay, fine," Riley replied. "But that pact! I should be focusing on school."

"You've been doing great since you and Charlie ended things," Maya said.

"Exactly," Riley nodded. "I don't need the distraction. Besides, Lucas created the pact."

"Oh, honey," Maya said, pulling Riley into a hug. "You know what I think? I think he only created the pact so he doesn't have to watch you date someone else. He likes you, Riley."

"Did he tell you he likes me?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then how do you know that for sure?" Riley sighed, getting up and bolting to her room.

Maya groaned and slid in her seat, grabbing the nearest pillow and screaming angrily into it. She wondered why Riley was so dramatic. Riley was making things more complicated than they already were! But in true Riley fashion, the way she handled things with Lucas was obviously because she was putting his happiness before hers, which was funny because she didn't know that it was making him anything _but_ happy.

* * *

"It's obvious they like each other," Maya said. She was in her dorm with Farkle as they discussed their best friend's predicament. Farkle was caught up with the situation when he spent a day with his two best friends at the mall as Riley did some retail therapy. Riley thought the retail therapy would do her some good, but deep down she knew she was just making things worse for herself as Lucas consumed her thoughts even more. Maya shook her head, "I'm not too sure why it took you so long to figure it out. You're the genius."

"I may be a genius but I also trust my best friends' words," Farkle huffed. "Because of Riley's words, I didn't bother to try to dig deeper into the situation. Not until I had a conversation with him at her party. He's perfect for her, Maya. Why can't she see that?"

"I'm not sure," Maya sighed. "But they're both being so stubborn. What the hell is up with that?"

"They don't want to ruin the friendship they have," Farkle pointed out.

"But moving forward, they'll still be able to keep that friendship," Maya said. "And make it stronger. In a romantic way."

"Well, maybe they're just not ready to date?" Farkle asked.

"It's that stupid pact," Maya scoffed. "That's what's stopping them from admitting their feelings. At least, that's why Riley refrained from telling him her feelings the other day. That, and also because she thought Lucas was going to say the same thing so she just beat him to it."

As the two discussed their brunette's stubbornness, there was knock on the door. Maya groaned and got up to answer it. To her surprise, Zay was revealed to be standing in the doorway.

"Zay? Hey," Maya greeted with a soft smile, "how did you know where I lived?"

"Lucas may have mentioned it once or twice," Zay replied with a shrug. Of course Lucas had mentioned it more than once. Riley lived there. And he had a thing for her. "May I come in?"

Maya stepped aside to let Zay inside, then closed the door. Zay raised his eyebrows when he noticed Farkle on the couch in the living room. He walked over to greet him.

"Hey, Sparkle, right?" Zay offered.

"It's Farkle," he replied with a chuckle. He wasn't offended, in fact, he was used to people butchering his name all the time. "Zay, right?"

"You got it," Zay confirmed with a nod. He plopped down on the couch beside the genius. Maya, who followed him into the living room, sat on the other side of Zay.

"So why are you here, Zay?" Maya asked. She didn't want to seem rude, but he was Lucas's friend, and Lucas was Riley's friend. Although they've met a couple of times, they wouldn't consider each other close enough to hang out without Lucas or Riley.

"Is Sunshine here?" he inquired.

Maya and Farkle shook their heads. Riley was at her parents' bakery for the day. She had gotten a text from her mother the previous day, asking if she was able to help out. There was a fundraising event at the bakery and Topanga needed her whole family there. Riley thought it would help keep her mind off of the boy with the emerald eyes that haunted her recent dreams. Although they agreed to remain friends after the New Year's kiss, they hadn't seen each other since the day Lucas came over to talk to her.

"Perfect," Zay clapped his hands together.

"Why, what's up?" Farkle asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you guys about Riley and Lucas," Zay said.

"What a coincidence, we were just talking about them too," Farkle said.

Zay nodded, "But here's the thing. Lucas was going to tell her how he felt about her the day she said they should just stay friends after the kiss. He didn't get a chance to because Riley jumped to conclusions and assumed he was just going to reject her or whatever."

"This makes _so_ much sense," Farkle said.

"I knew it!" Maya stood up. "So Huckleberry _does_ like her!"

"Of course," Zay confirmed. "I mean, haven't you seen the way they interact? There was no way they weren't going to fall for each other eventually."

"That's what I've been saying!" Maya said, giving Farkle an 'I told you so' look. He rolled his eyes, unamused.

"So there's confirmation that they both like each other," Farkle said. "So what now? How do we get these two kids together?"

"Honestly, I don't think we should get involved," Maya shrugged. Farkle shot her a confused look.

Farkle gasped, "That's so unlike you!"

"Well, I feel that if we plan something, they'd both feel pressured about the whole thing," Maya explained.

"Okay, but I think all three of us should talk to Lucas," Zay suggested. "If he gets the insight from you guys he might be willing to give it another shot. I mean, it's one thing for me to tell him that Riley likes him, but it's another if you two do it. He knows you two are Riley's _best_ friends besides him. He'll believe your words against mine."

* * *

A couple of days later, Lucas returned to his dorm from a solo study date at the library. Although he and Riley were on good terms, they still haven't really hung out since their conversation. They did however, text a bit, which they both thought was a lot easier than seeing each other in person. Lucas was surprised to see Zay with Maya and Farkle at the kitchen table as soon as he walked in.

"Maya, Farkle, hey," Lucas greeted, setting his book bag on the table and sat at an empty seat. He turned to Zay, "Didn't know you were all good friends."

Zay exchanged looks with the others. He shrugged, "I guess you could say that."

"We came over to talk to you," Maya replied. She wasn't about to waste any time. She wanted to get straight to the point. She was tired of watching Riley moping around the dorm. She wanted smiley Riley back.

"About what?" Lucas raised a brow. In the back of his mind, he knew why those two were there in his kitchen. He kind of hoped he was wrong.

"Don't play dumb with me, Huckleberry," Maya scoffed. "You know why we're here. Riley?"

"I know," Lucas rolled his eyes with a groan. "I just wished it wasn't about her."

"And why not? We know you love her," Farkle chimed in.

" _Love_?" Lucas repeated. He shook his head. "No, no. You got it all wrong! I don't love her."

"Well, not yet," Maya replied.

"But you have feelings for her, correct?" Farkle asked.

Lucas hesitated, but nodded.

"Strong feelings, I should add," Zay said.

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed about your feelings," Maya said. "Especially when—"

"She doesn't like me back?" Lucas interrupted.

"Yes, she does, freakface!" Farkle snapped. He shook his head in disbelief, "Oh, you are _just_ as stubborn as Riley."

"Maybe more," Zay added. Lucas shot him a look. Zay shrugged, "It's true."

"She _likes_ you, you dumb cowboy," Maya said, throwing her arms in the air. "You shouldn't have let her interrupt you. The girl's just trying to protect herself. She'd be more open about things if you didn't make up that stupid pact."

"She likes me?" Lucas's eyes widened. Zay was right. Lucas was taking Maya and Farkle's words a lot better than Zay's.

"She does!" Farkle groaned loudly. "I literally just said that."

"Seriously?" Lucas pressed. He mumbled, "I can't believe it."

Zay put both hands on his head, appalled by what was happening. Although he knew Lucas would believe them, he was still frustrated that Zay had been telling Lucas the same things and was getting a different reaction from the blond.

"I've been telling you this forever!" Zay shouted, his frustrations getting the best of him.

"Yeah, but you weren't even sure about it! It's not like Riley told you, she told Maya and Farkle!" Lucas reasoned, only further proving Zay's logic was correct.

Zay looked at Maya, then Farkle. He nodded at them both, silently thanking them for their help. He got up and walked over to Lucas, slapping his hand on his back.

"Lucas, just please talk to her," Zay pleaded. "This is as involved as we're going to get. As much as we all want you and Riley together, you need to make that happen yourself. We're not going to push you further. We're not going to plan an elaborate scheme to get you guys together."

Maya and Farkle nodded in support of Zay's words.

"Have you three talked to Riley about all of this?" Lucas inquired.

"No," Farkle shook his head. "Like I said, Riley's stubborn too. Us trying to convince her of your feelings would just draw out her insecurities and honestly it would push her further away from you."

"The genius is right," Maya nodded. "I've known Riley my entire life. She knows what she believes in. And her beliefs are quite strong. This would've been a hard task. And she always put her friends before herself. Honestly, I think she's doing this to protect you. I'm not sure how, but that's just how Riley is. But you, Zay told us that even though you probably didn't know it, you've always held onto hope that one day you and Riley might end up together."

"Yeah, Luke," Zay said. He smiled proudly, "I know you better than you know yourself."

"Okay, but…" Lucas's voice trailed off. "The pact."

"Forget the stupid pact, man!" Zay gripped Lucas's shoulder. "You created it. You can break it. What does it even matter? You two are _perfect_ for each other. Don't let that pact in the way. I know deep down you only created that pact because you didn't want to see her get hurt by some other guy. And that's never going to happen. Because we all know you'd never do anything to hurt her."

"Truth is," Lucas took a deep breath, "I decided a while ago I still wanted to tell her how I feel. I didn't care if she returned the feelings or not, I just wanted her to know anyway. But with the confirmation of her feelings, and my god I am taking your word for it"—he pointed at Maya and Farkle— "I think I'm just going to take my chances and see how things turn out. Screw this stupid pact. I'm done hiding my feelings."

* * *

 **In the early stages of planning this fic, I told myself I don't want the others getting involved with getting Rucas together. However, with the way things turned out, it was inevitable and I am limiting their meddling to the conversation they just had. From here on out, everything is all on Lucas and Riley. I hope to update within the next day or so. Thanks once again for all your support!**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, or whatever else you celebrate! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four

For the next couple of weeks, Lucas continued to space himself from Riley. It's not that he didn't want to make things right with her—he did. And he needed time alone to figure out how he was going to win Riley's heart. With no doubt in his mind that Riley had reciprocating feelings, Lucas had been planning a date for the two of them, a date she had no say in. As cliché as it may sound, Lucas had decided to put his plan into action during Valentine's Day weekend. He knew Riley was the romantic type, and having the date during Valentine's Day gave him more of a chance with her.

Although they hadn't physically hung out in quite a while, Riley and Lucas decided to slowly ease back into their friendship by texting. They both realized that they should take baby steps, and that they both were heavily impacted by that kiss on New Year's. Riley wouldn't admit it, but no matter how hard she tried to forget about her feelings for Lucas, it wouldn't work. But she assumed Lucas didn't have those feelings towards her, so she just tried her best to suppress her feelings.

Zay, Maya, and Farkle knew about Lucas's plans. Lucas however, refused to let them have any say in anything. He wanted the date to be completely in his hands, with no help at all when it came to the ideas. Zay would always be notified of new additions to the plans, and he would relay the message on to Maya who would then let Farkle know. Although he wouldn't take any recommendations, Lucas did allow Maya to approve or deny some aspects of the date. He figured that being Maya being Riley's best friend ever since they were seven, she would know a thing or two about what Riley really liked.

As the day approached, Lucas was getting more and more nervous. He believed that he had a foolproof plan to make things right with Riley after their misunderstanding. And as confident as he was, he still couldn't help but feel that the date would somehow derail and he and Riley would end up drifting apart even more. He didn't want that to happen. He cared about Riley too much to let her slip through his fingers. And he was finally going to do something about it.

"Hey, Farkle," Lucas said, holding up his phone to his ear. Valentine's Day was tomorrow and he enlisted the help of Farkle and Smackle to set things up at the special location. "Do you have everything for tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Farkle replied, enthusiasm evident in his voice. He was excited to be helping Lucas out with the date. He just wanted Riley to be happy, and there was no doubt in his mind that Riley was going to love what Lucas had planned for her.

"Ok, good," Lucas let out a sigh of relief. "Just making sure."

"You have nothing to worry about, man," Farkle assured him. "Everything's going to be fine! She's going to _love_ it."

"I agree," Smackle chimed in. Lucas was confused at first to hear the feminine voice but then he realized he was on speaker.

"Thanks again for helping out, Smackle," Lucas said. "You two are the best for doing this."

"Anytime!" Smackle said. "Farkle and I are more than happy to help."

"Are you sure it's not interrupting your Valentine's plans at all?" Lucas asked.

"Nope," Farkle replied. "The weather forecast tomorrow is pretty good, so we're going to set up early. Then we're going to go on our date afterward. But don't worry, I asked Auggie to make sure nothing's out of place before you get there."

"Auggie?" Lucas said. "You told him?"

"I did," Farkle confirmed. "He was excited about it. He really likes you, Lucas. He wants you to be with his sister as much as we do. Oh, and I also told Mr. and Mrs. Matthews about it."

"You told her parents too?! Why?" Lucas snapped. It's not that he didn't want her parents to know. He was just embarrassed about it.

"They like you, you know," Farkle laughed. "Of course I had to tell them. We are using the rooftop of their apartment, after all."

"Fair enough," Lucas replied.

"Good luck tomorrow," Farkle said.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it."

* * *

"I'm so nervous. I'm never nervous. Tell me why I'm nervous! Make it stop!" Lucas smoothed out his button down shirt he had just put on. He stared at himself in the mirror, noting how worried his demeanor was. He hadn't seen Riley in so long, what was she going to think about him?

"Calm down, Luke," Zay laughed. "Remember, you and Riley are always able to talk to each other. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, you look great. There's no way she'll turn you down."

"But what if she doesn't show?" Lucas voiced his concerns.

"Oh, believe me, she will," Zay assured him. He tilted his head, "I thought you were over these doubts."

"I am, but it's been so long, what if she doesn't like me anymore?" Lucas said. With the amount of time apart he and Riley had, Lucas's doubts were resurfacing. He couldn't help but wonder if Riley had met a new guy in her classes, someone better than him. Someone who was able to express his feelings better than him. "I haven't seen her in a couple weeks, you know."

"She still likes you," Zay confirmed.

"Did Maya tell you?" Lucas asked, hopeful. When it came to Riley, he always trusted Maya's word.

"No, but I just know," Zay shook his head. He got up from his spot on the couch and stood behind Lucas in front of the mirror. "Just have some faith, will ya?"

"I'll try," Lucas sighed. "Is everything set up, by the way?"

Zay nodded, "Farkle texted me. It's been set up for a couple hours now. Auggie's up there making sure nothing gets messed up before your arrival."

"Oh, thank god," Lucas said. He had never been more nervous in his life. He wanted everything to go according to plan, to be perfect for the girl of his dreams.

"Are you ready for this?" Zay asked, clapping a hand on Lucas's shoulder and slightly tightening his grip.

"More ready than I'll ever be," Lucas took a deep breath.

* * *

"Maya, are you expecting someone?" Riley asked as she got up to answer the door. She and Maya were watching romantic comedies in the living room, a tradition they had since high school. In high school, Riley and Maya never dated anyone, claiming that none of the boys were good enough for them. So they spent their Valentine's Days single and decided to watch movies to keep their minds off the fact that they hadn't met their Mr. Right yet. And even though Maya was dating Josh now, they wanted to keep the tradition alive.

"Nope," Maya said, popping the 'p.' She tried to hide the smile she so wanted to release. She knew it was time for Huckleberry to put his plan into action.

"Are you sure?" Riley pressed. "It's Valentine's Day and I know you have a date with Uncle Josh."

"Mhm," Maya confirmed with a slow nod. "But that's tonight. The boy takes longer to get ready than I do."

"Ain't that the truth," Riley agreed with a chuckle.

Riley opened the door, and when no one was there, she looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone in the hallway. She was about to close the door when she realized there was an envelope on the floor. Curious, she picked up and furrowed her brows when she read her name on it in neat calligraphy. She scratched her head, closed the front door and proceeded to go to her room.

"I wonder what this is," Riley mumbled. She sat down on her bed and carefully ripped open the envelope to find a letter inside. She took the piece of paper and unfolded it, revealing the same neat calligraphy as was on the envelope. She quietly read it to herself. It was a secret admirer of hers, asking her to meet him at an undisclosed location. Given were only clues as how to get there. She didn't know how to feel about the letter. She thought it was nice someone was thoughtful enough to do this for her, but at the same time, she was worried as to who was behind all of it.

"Maya!" Riley yelled. Maya immediately ran to the brunette's room.

"What's wrong, honey?" Maya asked.

"Someone left this on our doorstep," Riley pouted, handing the envelope and letter to Maya.

Maya quickly scanned over the piece of paper.

"So? Are you going to meet whoever this is?" Maya inquired nonchalantly.

"I don't know who it's from," Riley admitted. "He didn't sign a name."

"Well, why don't you go find out?" Maya suggested with a shrug.

"It's a little sketchy, Maya," Riley said. "What if this random guy turns out to be some serial killer and the letter was his way to lure me?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Maya waved her off.

"Hey, it happens," Riley replied. "It's New York. There are a lot of crazy people roaming the streets."

"Well, I for one think you should go," Maya said, throwing the paper playfully at Riley.

Riley pouted again, "Give me one good reason why I should."

Maya lowered herself so she could look into Riley's worried and confused eyes.

"Go on," Riley urged.

"It's Valentine's Day and there's a boy out there who wants to take you out on a date," Maya said. "I think it's legit, and you're Riley Matthews. You see the good in everything. I know you see the good in this letter."

"You're right," Riley sighed. "And I believe that this is the universe's way of telling me that Lucas and I were never meant to be and that I belong with someone else."

Maya rolled her eyes. If only Riley knew.

"I bet it's Evan," Riley added.

"Evan? Who's that?" Maya furrowed her brows.

"I met him at Zay's party a couple of months back," Riley said.

"Seriously," Maya mumbled.

"Okay, I'll do it," Riley decided. What harm could being spontaneous do? It was Valentine's Day, and Riley loved romance.

* * *

Riley and Maya got ready for their respective dates later that afternoon. Maya wanted to get really dressed up for Josh, and Riley decided she would put in more effort in her appearance as usual. Riley wore a burgundy skater dress with tights. She decided to pair the outfit with booties and a wool coat. Her hair was in soft curls that framed her face. Her makeup was flashier than usual, including false lashes to finish off the look.

"What if I don't like him?" Riley asked. "I feel bad if I have to reject the guy."

"Riley," Maya sighed. "Don't overthink things. You look beautiful. Whoever this guy is, he'd be lucky to get rejected by you."

"Not funny," Riley pouted.

"Sorry," Maya said. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

Riley checked the time on her phone. It was nearing six-thirty, and the letter specifically told her to leave at the time if she wanted to be on time at the location.

"Guess I have to go," Riley took a deep breath, then smiled softly.

"Good luck," Maya nudged the brunette and returned the smile.

Riley followed the instructions in the letter. The instructions were so discrete that she didn't realize she ended up at her apartment building. Confused, she went up to her apartment. She was given no other instructions, and being home, she figured she'd just check in with her family, assuming that they were the ones who set her up. She sighed.

"Of course no one was going to actually ask me out, especially not on Valentine's Day," Riley mumbled to herself, grabbing her house keys from her satchel as she approached the door. She was greeted by a piece of paper that was taped on the door with her name on it. The paper also had the same calligraphy as the letter she had received earlier that day. The sign told her to go up to the rooftop.

Riley figured she had nothing else to lose. She was already there, and if it turned out to be a cruel joke, at least she could just run downstairs to her room and cry about it in peace.

She took a deep breath before she opened the door to the rooftop. One part of her secretly hoped that it was Lucas, but she knew it would be impossible, especially since he didn't share the same feelings that she had for him. She braced herself for what, or rather who, she was going to face.

She pushed the door open and slowly stepped outside. She looked down at her feet, refusing to look around. She went down a couple of steps, then looked up. Her mouth dropped at the sight. The rooftop was decorated with string lights and a couple of drapes, and in the middle of it all was a table set for two. Her eyes finally landed on the boy with the emerald eyes standing in front of the table with a noticeably nervous grin on his face. The boy was holding a bouquet of seven different colored roses, something that Riley didn't see often.

"Hi," Lucas breathed, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest out of excitement and anxiety.

* * *

 **Ooh, I'm sure you all saw that coming! But I wonder what'll happen during their date? I guess this is the best time to let you all know that the next chapter will be the last. Things will wrap up in that chapter, then there will be an epilogue. Again, expect this fic to be finished in a couple of days as I want to finish this before the new year. I can't believe we're almost in 2017. Crazy.**


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**You guys! This is it, the final chapter of Folie à Deux. Thank you for joining me on this journey and keeping me motivated with all your sweet reviews. Overall, this entire fic ended up going a completely different direction than I initially planned, but I am very happy with the outcome and I'm glad you've all enjoyed reading it. Please help yourself to the Rucas reunion and much needed Rucas fluff.**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Lucas?" Riley sighed, releasing a soft smile. She put a hand on her opposite arm and discretely pinched herself, making sure it wasn't a dream. She internally screamed when she realized that this was her reality. "You did this?"

Lucas gulped and nodded. He couldn't believe she actually showed up, especially since he didn't sign the letter with his name. He figured that the anonymity would be intriguing, but he knew it also lowered his chances of her showing up. Surprisingly to him, she did just that. And then his hope grew.

"I got you these," Lucas said nervously, handing her the bouquet.

Riley couldn't help but to release another smile, but bigger this time. She took the bouquet from him and took a whiff of the roses. She loved roses, they were her favorite flowers. She didn't recall ever telling Lucas this piece of information, but with the amount of conversations they've shared, maybe she had told him at some point. But as far as she knew, the only person who knew her favorite flower besides her parents was Maya. _Maya_. Now Riley understood why Maya pushed her to follow the letter. But how could she have known? Unless, she _knew_. Riley made a mental note to discuss this with Maya later.

"These are beautiful," Riley said, slowly turning the bouquet around to admire the different colors.

"Almost as beautiful as you," Lucas said, his voice cracking. He wasn't sure if he actually said that out loud until Riley giggled nervously.

"Thank you," Riley replied. She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks, but she didn't care. It was painfully obvious to her now that Lucas had feelings for her. And she couldn't be happier. Or more nervous. "What's all of this for, Lucas?"

"I think you know," Lucas said softly.

Riley titled her head. Lucas offered his hand out to her and she gladly took it with her free hand that wasn't holding the bouquet. He led her to the table and pulled out the chair for her to sit. He then walked over to the opposite side of the table and sat down as well. Lucas silently thanked Farkle the genius for being right about the weather being so cooperative. It was surprisingly warm for it being a February night. It was cold, but not too cold. It was comfortable enough to stay outside for a couple of hours.

"This is for the bouquet," Lucas gestured to the vase resting on the table. "Just so you're not holding them the whole time."

Riley gave the bouquet back to Lucas and he carefully placed them in the vase. When he realized that the flowers were in the way of his view of Riley, he moved the vase aside, placing it beside the wine bottle he had brought for them to share.

"So what brings the both of us here?" Riley asked nonchalantly, trying so hard to hide her anxiety. Although she had good feelings about this, she still wasn't sure what she was expecting.

"Well," Lucas took a deep breath. He thought about this a lot in the past few weeks, and he regretted not rehearsing what he wanted to say. "Last time we were up here, things kind of got messy. I mean, we kissed, and then there was this whole misunderstanding between me and you. This rooftop kind of left a sour taste in my mouth. And I want to change that. I want to associate this rooftop with a happy moment."

"Are you saying what I think you're trying to say?" Riley raised her brow, completely engaged in Lucas's words.

Lucas nodded, reaching across the table to take her hands in his. He studied her face. The last time she looked this vulnerable was that night under the stars in Texas. He continued, "I like you, Riley. I've known ever since we went stargazing in Texas and we spent the entire night talking. I've never felt more like myself than when I'm with you. And I guess that's also another reason why I decided to have this date up here on your rooftop." Lucas looked up at the sky, succeeding to view a couple of stars. "This is the only place I can think of that was the closest thing to giving you the stars like in Texas."

"You know, the only reason why I rejected you was because I thought you didn't like me back," Riley confessed, looking down at their intertwined hands. "It took me a little longer to realize my feelings for you, but I knew after spending the day with you doing winter-y things, that my friends were all right. I do like you more than a friend. I just didn't know it at the time."

"My friends said the same thing," Lucas laughed. "We're a bit stubborn, aren't we?"

"Just a little," Riley agreed. She couldn't help but to bring up the pact they made months ago. "But what about the pact?"

Lucas smiled and shook his head. He knew it was going to come up. He replied, "Honestly? I think it cancels out if the feelings involved are towards each other. Besides, I created the pact. Shouldn't I be allowed to cancel it if I wanted to? Because I have hell of a good reason to do so."

For once in what felt like forever, Riley felt her heart lighten. Although the pact did her some good in the first few weeks that they agreed on it, she had a feeling that neither of them were going to completely go through with it. And for once since she admitted to herself about her feelings for Lucas, she didn't feel guilty about it.

"So no more pact?" Riley asked with a hopeful tone.

"No more pact," Lucas confirmed with a smile, noting the glimmer of hope that was evident in her eyes.

"Yay!" Riley squealed, but then quickly retreated when she realized how overenthusiastic she was being. "Sorry. I'm just really excited. For once I can embrace these feelings."

"What have I told you about being sorry?" Lucas asked.

"That I say it too much," Riley said with a laugh, remembering the first time he told her that. She couldn't believe that so much had changed in just a few short months. She looked around the beautifully decorated rooftop then bit her lip. "So… are we counting this as our first date?"

"Well, I was hoping," Lucas shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Only if you consider it to be one."

Of course Riley wanted this to be a first date. It sure would be a very memorable one, especially with the story they had.

"So are you hungry?" Lucas asked. He grabbed the wine bottle that was on the table beside the vase, and poured a glass for himself and a glass for Riley.

Riley nodded, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well…" Lucas's voice trailed off.

As if on cue, Auggie stepped out onto the rooftop with two plates of chicken parmesan with a side of baked potatoes and placed one in front of Riley and the other in front of Lucas.

"Auggie?" Riley smiled at the sight of her brother.

"Hi, Riles," Auggie smiled back and hugged his sister.

"You were in on this?"

Auggie nodded proudly, "I really like him, Riley. And I want you to be happy."

"Thanks again for your help, Augs," Lucas said, giving Auggie a fist bump. "I know it was last minute but thanks for coming through."

"It's nothing," Auggie replied, waving him off. "Mom and Dad are out on their date right now so just let me know if you two need anything else. I'll be back later to bring you dessert." Auggie returned downstairs.

"So Auggie made this?" Riley was pleasantly surprised at how good the food tasted.

Lucas laughed, "No, Zay helped me make it. I just asked Auggie to reheat it because I made it this morning."

"Oh, wow," Riley commented. "A cowboy _and_ a chef? I wonder what you made for dessert."

"I didn't make anything," Lucas admitted. "Honestly, I think Auggie's just gonna bring us up some ice cream."

"Well, you can't go wrong with ice cream," Riley beamed.

The pair talked as they finished their food. They both missed talking to each other in person. Sure, they've texted frequently in the past couple of weeks, but there was nothing better than being in each other's presence and listening to each other talk.

"I've got to ask, who wrote the letter?" Riley asked. They just caught each other up with what had been going on with school, but Riley couldn't help but change the topic back to them and their date.

"I did," Lucas replied. "I knew that you knew my penmanship pretty well, so I figured I'd learn calligraphy."

"You learned calligraphy for me?"

"Kinda," Lucas titled his head. "I've always wanted to learn calligraphy ever since I was in high school. I just never had a good reason to actually do it. Until now. I'm glad you liked my writing."

"I'm a sucker for things like that," Riley gushed.

"I know."

Riley and Lucas continued to talk, about everything and anything, just as they always did. And like always, they lost track of time. They talked for hours under the few stars glistening in the New York sky, which was reminiscent of that night back in Texas.

As the clock struck midnight Lucas knew it was time for his next speech. He would've said it to her earlier, but he decided that what he was going to ask her was too cliché to bring up on Valentine's Day. And he didn't want to be another cliché.

"So, you might be wondering why all these roses are all different colors," Lucas said, holding the vase in front of him.

Riley nodded. She folded her arms on the table and urged him to continue. She liked listening to him talk. His calming voice soothed her, similar to the effect she had on him.

"Well, they all mean something," Lucas continued. "And they all mean you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Lucas chuckled at the brunette's confusion, noting how cute she was when she was confused. "You see, the coral rose symbolizes friendship. I love our friendship, Riley. I know we've both messed it up along the way but I'm glad we're always able to talk through it even though it takes us both a while to confront each other. And if wasn't for you, I don't know if I would've survived New York.

"Then the dark red rose symbolizes unconscious beauty. What I noticed about you is that you don't know how beautiful you are. And it's a shame, because I think you're _gorgeous_. You're always so selfless and put others before yourself. I realize that you rejecting me was your way of putting me before your feelings.

"The white rose symbolizes purity, innocence. That's what you are. I know you're fully aware of all the things going on around you and in this world, but you choose to look at it differently. You're so full of hope and you see the good in everyone, something I wish I could do. The pink symbolizes happiness, which is something you always seem to express. I can only hope that one day I could be as happy as you are. But knowing you, I seem to be getting close.

"The orange one symbolizes desire and enthusiasm. Along with being happy, you're enthusiastic about everything! You light up every room you walk into, and the positivity that radiates off you is contagious. You make me want to be a better person because of it.

"Lavender symbolizes love at first sight. When you first fell into my lap on the subway, I had this feeling in my stomach. Honestly, I thought I just ate something bad the night before, but now I realize that it was probably love at first sight. I think back to a lot of moments we've shared and it's amazing how long it took me to realize that my feelings for you were never platonic at all.

"And finally, the yellow rose symbolizes the promise of a new beginning. And that's what I want to promise you. I know this is only our first date, but I hope it's appropriate for me to ask you this. Riley, will you be my girlfriend?"

Riley was speechless. Throughout his entire speech, Riley's heart fluttered and her smile reached her eyes, something that her smile never seemed to do since New Year's. She had no idea that Lucas thought this way about her. This whole time Lucas liked her back and she didn't know. She felt stupid for pushing him away after the kiss, because she realized they both could've avoided this if she'd had just let him talk the first time.

Riley responded in the only way she knew how. She got up from her seat and walked over to his. She sat in his lap and pressed her lips on his. It felt like the kiss they shared over a month ago, explosive. But this time, it was a lot more relaxed and more passionate, since they both knew their feelings for each other weren't one sided.

When they both pulled away after what it seemed like forever, Lucas couldn't help but nuzzle his face into her neck and smile. This caused Riley to giggle at the sensation and pushed his face away from her neck.

"I'll take that as a yes," Lucas grinned as he returned to look into her chocolate brown eyes.

Riley nodded then threw her head back as she laughed. She took his face in her hands and told him, "I'm glad I fell into your lap."

"Me too," Lucas smiled.

* * *

 **And that's it! I hope you all enjoyed it. I tried tying in a lot of aspects in their relationship and I'm very happy with how this turned out. I tried avoiding clichés, and I think I only succeeded in that department by making Lucas ask Riley to be his girlfriend on February 15 and not 14. Anyway, stay tuned, the epilogue will be up tomorrow! Expect more cheesy author's notes from me.**


	26. Epilogue

**Once again, thank you to all my lovely readers who have stayed with me throughout all of this. You guys are the best. I wanted to give a shout out to a few people: originalguest, violet1429, and Marilove24. You guys have been there since the beginning of this fic and I wanted to thank you for sticking with me until the very end! My other lovely frequent reviewers, thank you as well! I always love hearing your thoughts and it keeps me motivated. Especially Siennese, your reviews are always so entertaining, thank you! I hope you all have a wonderful New Year full of hope and prosperity.**

* * *

Epilogue

"I can't believe we're graduating!" Riley smiled, attacking her boyfriend of three years with a hug. She was over at his dorm to discuss some last minute plans for their graduation party that her parents were hosting at Topanga's.

"Yeah," Lucas said, taking in the scent of her hair. He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes. He donned a serious look on his face. "But you know I still need to talk to you."

"No, Lucas," Riley waved him off. She poked his chest with her index finger. "You don't get to ruin this moment for us."

"But Riles—"

"No buts, cowboy," Riley said sternly. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, then slightly brushed her lips against his. "I know you're moving back to Texas soon and I just want to enjoy this. We're graduating tomorrow! Let this be a happy moment for the both of us and forget about what's next."

"But that's what I wanted to tell you—"

Before Lucas could finish his sentence, Riley pulled him into a deep kiss. She knew that would distract him. She smiled into the kiss when she felt Lucas's hands creep on her waist and pulled her closer to him. Feeling the heat of the moment, Riley moved her lips from his and began to kiss his neck instead.

"Riles, babe," Lucas shut his eyes in pleasure. "This isn't fair. We need to talk!"

"I don't wanna hear it," Riley raised her palm to Lucas's face. She turned on her heel and walked away to sit on the couch.

Riley knew that once graduation came around, her future with Lucas was going to be complicated, at least for the next couple of years. Sure, they were usually apart for the past couple of summers since Lucas would always return to his hometown of Austin, Texas. But this time it was different. Riley knew that Lucas was going to move back home while he took a year off from school before he applied to grad school. It wouldn't be so bad, as she's sure they'd both take turns visiting each other. But with her going straight to Columbia for grad school in a couple of months, she was going to be busy. And she knew that Lucas still wasn't certain in which grad school he was going to apply to, so returning to New York may not even be a possibility at all.

What Riley didn't know was that Lucas had decided to stay in New York after graduation and had rented an apartment. Whenever he'd try to talk to Riley about their plans post-graduation, she never wanted to listen to him. His frustrations would usually get the best of him and so he brought up the topic less and less, still receiving the same response from the brunette. Before his decision to get the apartment, he initially told Riley he was thinking about going back to Texas for his year off, but he never confirmed it. Riley was just being stubborn and refused to talk to him about it.

* * *

"Did you tell Riley about the apartment yet?" Rachel asked. She, along with Jack, Pappy Joe, and Xander were in New York for Lucas and Riley's graduation. They were staying at a hotel a couple blocks away from the apartment Lucas had rented. Lucas went to greet them at their hotel after Riley had left his dorm.

Lucas plopped down beside his brother on one of the two beds in the room. He sighed and shook his head, "She thinks I'm going back with you guys to Texas."

"You've had a couple of weeks to talk to her about this," Jack pointed out, who was standing at the window, taking in the New York view. He then turned to face the others. "You move in in a couple of days. How could she not know?"

"Because she's being stubborn, Dad!" Lucas grabbed his head in frustration. "She won't talk to me about it. Right before I came over, she was at my dorm. I tried to bring it up again but she still didn't want to listen to me."

"She's probably just scared, boy," Pappy Joe offered, standing in front of Lucas with his hands on his hips.

"Of me?" Lucas furrowed his brows. Sure, given his past, Riley had every right to be scared of him. But he was far from who he used to be, and Riley knew that. How could she possibly be scared of him?

"Of what she thinks you're going to say," Xander said, understanding what Pappy Joe meant. "Maybe she thinks you're going to break up with her."

"Break up with her? I would never," Lucas said, slightly offended that his family would ever think that he'd let go of one of the best things that had ever happened to him.

"We know you wouldn't," Pappy Joe assured him.

"You've mentioned several times before that Riley gets insecure at times," Rachel pointed out. "It's just one of those things where she's not necessarily questioning your feelings for her, but more like she's insecure about being apart from you."

"But we're not going to be apart," Lucas said.

"She doesn't know that, does she?" Xander clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. Jack, Pappy Joe, and Rachel all gave Lucas a knowing look.

* * *

Graduation rolled around and the families of the reasonably large graduating class were easily disinterested in the ceremony due to the long process. But when Lucas and Riley walked across the stage to retrieve their degrees respectively, the Friars and Matthews were sure to scream loud enough to show their excitement and support for the two.

After the unbearably long ceremony, a small gathering was held at Topanga's to celebrate Riley and her friends' milestone. The bakery was decked out with decorations appropriate for the occasion, including a banner that read 'Congrats to NYU Graduates.'

Riley seemed to mingling with the guests, congratulating her friends and taking pictures. She also took the time to talk to some of her friends' parents, including the Babineauxs and Smackles, who were also in the city for graduation. She greeted Maya and Farkle's parents as well, but she didn't spend too much time talking to them as she saw them often anyway.

Over the past couple of years since Riley and Lucas started dating, their friends had become a tightknit group. Comprised of Riley, Lucas, Zay, Maya, Farkle, and Smackle, they considered themselves to be the Clique Six. Of course considering themselves as a clique was such a juvenile thing to do, but they thought it was a fitting name for the bond they formed. Zay didn't like they name too much though, because whenever Vanessa, his fiancée as of recently, would visit, he felt uncomfortable considering themselves as 'six' when in reality, Vanessa got along with everyone just as well and was considered a 'seventh member.'

As Cory finished greeting the guests and thanked them for coming, he noticed Lucas sitting in the corner of the room with sad eyes as he watched Riley laugh with Maya. Jack and Rachel had filled in Cory and Topanga with Lucas's plans on staying in New York and renting an apartment.

"You don't seem so happy about graduating," Cory mused, pulling up the vacant chair at Lucas's table and sat beside him.

"I am, sir," Lucas said with a forced smile.

Cory lightly nudged the graduate, whose eyes still seemed to be fixated on his girlfriend, "When are you going to tell her?"

Lucas wasn't surprised that Cory knew. Of course his parents would tell hers, all they ever wanted was for their kids to be happy together.

"I have to today," Lucas replied. "She thinks I leave tomorrow when in reality that's when I move in."

Cory nodded and looked down at his hands. The two sat in silence for a couple of seconds as they watched Riley drink a glass of champagne with Zay, Farkle, Smackle, and Maya. Josh and Xander were present, taking pictures of the bunch. Surprisingly, Josh and Xander got along pretty well and had become friends after their initial meeting a couple of months ago.

Lucas turned to Cory and took a deep breath, "Do you think she'll be happy?"

"Of course," Cory nodded. "You know she loves you, right?"

Lucas chuckled, "I do. And are you okay with that?"

"No," Cory said truthfully. He liked Lucas, he really did. He just didn't like the fact that his daughter was growing up so fast and that things were changing. But if Riley was going to get married eventually, he was glad that it was surely going to be to Lucas. "In fact, I'm terrified. But I can't do anything about it. She loves you and you love her. You're a good kid, Lucas. That's all I ever wanted for her."

"Thank you, sir," Lucas smiled, a little more relaxed this time and less forced than the last.

Cory smiled and gestured towards the direction of his daughter and the others, "Go. Have fun with your friends. Talk to her."

* * *

"Thanks for having us, Riley, the food is great," Rachel smiled. She had approached Riley when she saw Riley having a moment to herself at the counter. Lucas's family had visited New York several times to visit him but this was their first time at Riley's parents' bakery.

"Anytime! Thanks for coming," Riley returned the smile. She had done a good job keeping herself together. She tried to forget about the fact that Lucas would be leaving tomorrow and they'd be apart for a couple of months (if they were lucky) before seeing each other again.

"You know, Riley, I know you almost as well as Lucas does," Rachel said.

"You do?" Riley looked at Rachel with a confused look.

Rachel nodded, taking Riley's hand, "Honey, you and Lucas have been together for three years. And he likes to talk about you. I've picked up at least a couple of things about you. Like when you smile, you always have that glimmer in your eyes. That's one of the things he loves about you. And I haven't seen that glimmer in your eyes since we arrived. What's bugging you?"

Riley sighed. She could try lying to her boyfriend's mother, but it was no use. Especially since she knew her almost as well as her own mother did. Riley figured that coming clean would be the best way to go, that way, she can get information about Lucas from her too.

"Honestly? I don't like that Lucas is going back to Texas with you guys," Riley confessed. "I know it sounds selfish and he's your son but I really don't want him to go."

Rachel shook her head with a smile. She knew that her son's relationship with Riley was built off of the fact that they could talk to each other about anything and everything. It was ironic to her that one of the strongest aspects of their relationship was the weakest at the moment.

"Have you even talked about it with him?" Rachel pressed.

"No…" Riley's voice trailed off. "It was a topic I tried to avoid. I just didn't want things to get messed up, you know? And who am I to get in the way of what Lucas wants?"

"Well, Lucas has some things to say to you. And you can't avoid it now. I don't want this misunderstanding ruining things for you both," Rachel said. She's liked Riley ever since they met all those years ago. She had hoped for Riley to become her daughter-in-law someday. Rachel knew that she was perfect for Lucas, and she didn't want him to lose her either.

"Misunderstanding?" Riley furrowed her brow.

"Talk to him, Riley," Rachel encouraged, giving the brunette a comforting hug.

* * *

"Riley, we really need to talk," Lucas said. He knew he wasn't able to bring it up earlier, as they were celebrating with their friends and he didn't want to ruin the moment for anyone, but now everyone was off talking to other people and Lucas finally had the chance to get Riley alone.

Riley nodded, urging for him to continue.

"Really? You're gonna let me talk?" Lucas was surprised at her willingness to hear him out. Well, that was easy.

"We haven't been communicating too well lately," Riley said. "And I feel like that's mostly on my end. But your mom told me I should listen, that you have something important to say."

Lucas silently thanked his mom and a smile crept on his lips. Lucas nodded, "I do. It's very important, actually."

"You know if you told me it was important, I would've listened from the start," Riley said.

Lucas scrunched his face and laughed, "No, you wouldn't have."

Riley shrugged, "Yeah, you're right. So now tell me, what's so important?"

"I know you let yourself believe that I'm going back to Texas tomorrow," Lucas began. "And I know I told you I was thinking about moving back. But I never actually confirmed it. And whenever I wanted to talk to you about my plans post-grad, you just naturally assumed it had something to do with Texas because that's where you think I'm headed. But you're _so_ wrong, Riley. What I wanted to tell you the past few weeks was that I found an apartment. Here. In New York. And I move in tomorrow."

"Oh my god, you're staying?! Yay!" Riley threw her arms around Lucas and gave him a tight squeeze. When she pulled away, she let out a sigh of relief. She playfully hit him and added, "You let me be worried for weeks because I thought you were moving back to Texas? You're horrible."

"I'm horrible?" Lucas put a hand to his chest. "You're the one who didn't want to talk about what was going to happen after graduation. I tried so hard but you were so persistent on not wanting to hear what I had to say."

"I know and I feel stupid," Riley palmed her forehead.

"Also, I have one more thing to say," Lucas sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and lifted one corner of his mouth. He pulled out a red velvet box from his jacket pocket. Everyone else around the two of them were engulfed in their own conversations, but the second Lucas pulled out the box, all eyes turned to them. They all gasped and commented to themselves about the possible marriage proposal that was about to go down.

Riley's eyes grew wide at the box in Lucas's hand as everyone continued their distinct chattering.

Although everyone talked amongst themselves, Maya wasn't afraid to let her thoughts be heard, "Riley, Huckleberry's going to ask you to marry you. Say yes, honey!"

Riley and Lucas looked towards Maya with somewhat annoyed smiles. Josh, who was standing beside the blonde, quickly put his arm around his girlfriend and covered her mouth with his hand, mouthing with an apologetic look, "Sorry."

Riley and Lucas resumed to stare into each other's eyes. Riley's heart was beating a mile a second. Lucas smiled, holding the box in front of Riley, then slowly opened it to reveal a key, "Riley, will you move in with me?"

Riley released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Well, duh!" she accepted cheerfully, leaning forward to place a tender kiss on Lucas's lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," Lucas beamed, giving Riley another kiss.

"You and red velvet boxes," Riley shook her head with a smile, snatching the box from Lucas's hand. She beamed as she remembered the last time he had given her a red velvet box, it had a jellybean inside it to symbolize her and Lucas's friendship. They had come a long way, converting their friendship into a relationship. And Riley hoped that the next red velvet box he presented to her would include a ring.

* * *

 **There it is! Hope you've all enjoyed reading Folie à Deux as much as I enjoyed writing it! A lot of you have been wondering if I have any other stories planned. I do. I have the majority of the chapters written for my next Rucas fic, which I plan to start posting in January. It's not a very long fic chapter wise, it'll have about ten in total, but they'll be pretty lengthy chapters. Since it'll be a bit short, the entire fic should be up a little bit after GM Goodbye airs if not sooner. I'm still not entirely sure if I want to post it yet due to all the drama in the fandom and the uncertainty of S4, but keep an eye out for it in case I do.**

 **Happy New Year!**


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